In Plain Sight
by thesunwillalwaysshine98
Summary: She was undercover, he was just protecting his family, but what will happen when their two worlds collide? A frisky little Romy shot. This is set just after the second film in an AU where no one dies.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I might wish every single day that Remy LeBeau was mine, unfortunately he isn't. Neither is anything else related to Marvel._

 **Chapter One**

Things were never what you might call normal at the X-mansion.

Though that was probably to be expected. It was hard enough having a building full of adolescents, but when those rioting teenagers were fuelled by supernatural powers they could barely control. Well, they were lucky to go a week without something blowing up and trying to find some solitude was near impossible.

That was what Rogue was doing.

She'd taken refuge up on the roof, climbing out of her bedroom window and scaling the drainpipe had seemed like a better option than dealing with the hysterical Tabatha Smith currently bombing the wreck room. No one would know where she was, except maybe Emma, but the stunning blonde telepath would never give her away. Of all people, Emma understood how hard it was trying to find some peace and quiet when you couldn't even escape the noise in your own head.

The truth was, she was craving a cigarette.

Except it wasn't _her_ that was craving the sweet hit of nicotine. She had an idea it was a combination of the small part of Logan she had absorbed the last time they'd fought hand to hand combat, and a small part of John, that was dying for a cigarette.

She sighed. Her mutation was hard enough to deal with without having to contemplate all the other personalities she had to compete with for space inside her own head.

Rogue's 'gift' as Storm liked to call it, was hidden in her skin. Every pore carried the deadly curse, and should anyone ever make skin to skin contact with her, she could easily absorb their memories, powers, and eventually their very life force.

The initial contact was unpleasant, but the aftershock was worse. Just after she'd made contact with someone else was usually when the part of them was strongest within her head. Sometimes they fought to take control, sometimes they tried to use their powers, and sometimes they did nothing at all. The last was Rogue's favourite. She had found that this usually only happened when she absorbed someone she knew. Recently she had been absorbing Logan most days, and while his personality was strong within her own, he never tried to take control. He only ever tried to help.

Not that he was much help right now.

Logan was probably her best friend in the mansion. They had connected when they'd both arrived and their relationship had remained strong since. Rogue found it hard to get close to people, she guessed it had something to do with her mutation. But things weren't hard with Logan.

The problem was, he wasn't half restless.

If he wasn't running off to Canada to 'figure some things out' then he was spending the night at his favourite bar in some pointless attempt to get drunk, or off running a mission for Scott that was 'too dangerous' for her to join him. That's where he had taken off to a week ago. Logan and Scott had taken off on a mission together.

It seemed like a terrible idea to her.

Originally when Logan had told her she'd thought he was joking. If there was one person in the entire mansion that Logan did not agree with, it was Scott; and Rogue was sure the feeling was more than mutual. They were just too different. Scott was straight laced and serious, while Logan was shady and unreasonable. It probably didn't help that they were both in love with the same woman, Jean Grey. Or that she had chosen Scott a long time ago, yet couldn't quite let Logan all the way out of her sights.

Anyway, Rogue was sure they either weren't going to make it back, or there would be some severe injuries if they did.

They had been gone for a week now. It wasn't exactly a long period of time but it was making Rogue antsy. She needed Logan to come back, she needed someone to talk to. Ever since her colossal break up with Bobby she'd found it really hard to talk to anyone, and although Logan wasn't the best listener he really wanted to know what she had to say. He really cared about her, and she needed that these days.

After trying to deal with a rocky relationship for almost a year, Bobby had decided that his and Rogue's fate were not destined to be tied. At first Rogue had thought it was because of Kitty Pryde. The plucky little phaser was just so cute and touchable, she wasn't sure if she could even blame Bobby for choosing her. As it turned out, Bobby had read all the signals wrong and Kitty had really never been that interested. She'd had her sights set on a much bigger prize.

So Bobby had downgraded, and was now undertaking a much more fulfilling relationship with one of the newest students, Lorna Dane.

Rogue couldn't blame him, what man would want to spend their entire life in a PG relationship? She didn't even want that, and she didn't have any other choice.

That didn't make things any easier.

Though Tabatha had been one of the reasons Rogue had retreated to the roof, another had been the sight of Bobby and Lorna locked in some sort of wrestling match in the arm chair across the room. So she didn't have any feelings for her ex anymore, didn't mean she liked seeming him touching another girl either.

It just served as a continued reminder of what she couldn't have. Ever.

She sighed again, the craving for that cigarette increasing. She hadn't meant to hide on the roof and throw herself a pity party, but sometimes these things were just unavoidable. It was difficult being untouchable.

That was her final thought before she heard the sound of jet engines in the sky. Her eyes snapped up just as the X-Jet came in to view, cruising through the air lazily as though trying to decide where to land. She jumped up so fast she'd forgotten where she was, and almost slipped off the roof tiles.

She quickly regained her balance and began to slide back towards her window as the X-Jet slowed and hovered above the hanger bay. It had to be Logan and Scott. No one else had checked out any of the jets recently and there were no other active missions taking place. It had to be them. She clambered through her window, leaped over the bed and took off towards the door at full pelt. She almost took it off its hinges as the siren call 'X-men to the war room' sounded across the mansion.

Something must have happened if Scott was calling a briefing.

She ran full pelt down the corridor and almost ran straight in to Kitty as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Luckily the phaser seemed to be prepared and Rogue only ran straight though her.

"Wait up, Rogue!" Kitty called, as Rogue hadn't even glanced back as she dashed past.

"Cain't!" she yelled over her shoulder, slightly breathless, "Logan's back!"

She didn't wait for a reply but lunged herself into one of the open elevators and anxiously pressed the basement button at least six times. The elevator seemed to sense her haste and the doors quickly slid shut. Rogue tapped her foot impatiently as the elevator moved down, she had waited a week already to see Logan, she didn't want to wait anymore.

She threw herself into the corridor the minute the doors opened and marched towards the war room. Logan wasn't one for emotion or displays of affection, but at this point Rogue didn't really care. She opened the door to the war room and paused, gauging who was inside. For the moment it seemed just Logan and Scott were present, though Jean at least had made her way down to greet them. She and Scott where having a very cosy looking reunion, while Logan stood with his arms crossed over his chest throwing them disdainful glances.

She didn't even think about what to do, she flung herself into the room and into his arms before he'd even realised what had happened. He smelled like worn leather and old cigars. She let the familiar scent wash over her and immediately began to relax.

"Woah there, kiddo" Logan said gruffly, but she felt his arms tighten around her and heard the smile in his voice, "You miss me?"

She leaned back to look into his face but he didn't relax his grip on her waist, "Maybe a little" she admitted, grinning.

His brown eyes shone with amusement.

"A little?" a voice came from the doorway and they all turned to see Jubilee wandering into the room, "She hasn't shut up about you since you left" the firecracker said, rolling her eyes and taking a seat at the table.

It seemed the rest of the X-men had arrived.

"Nearly knocked me over on her haste to get here" Kitty agreed, taking the seat next to Jubilee.

"I have to agree" Emma sighed, her ice blue eyes surveying Scott as she entered the room. "I will be glad when I no longer have to listen to the 'Logan is the best' show that appears to be on a loop in Rogue's mind."

"Maybe yah should stay outta mah head, sugah" Rogue suggested, detaching herself from Logan so she could take a seat at the table. Logan sat down beside her.

"Perhaps you shouldn't shout your thoughts at me" Emma suggested.

 _Yah shoutin' yoars at Jean right now?_ Rogue thought.

Emma merely raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Bobby and Colossus were the last two to join them and finally the X-men all sat down together.

"Where's Storm?" Rogue asked curiously.

"She's with the Professor" Jean answered, "He didn't think she would be needed for this mission."

"So there is a mission then?" Bobby asked. "You didn't just call us all down here for a nice game of Checkers?"

Jean rolled her eyes.

"An' here I was wonderin' why we were gone so long" Logan growled.

Scott ignored the exchange, as he mostly did. It was likely to be hard, trying to lead this rowdy bunch also known as a team. Most of the time he just sucked in a breath and counted to ten in his head, just to get himself through the day. "Me and Logan have been on a recon mission these past few days, up in New Orleans."

Rogue pouted, "Ya'll coulda invited a southern lady tah come along."

"We were gathering information on a group known as the Thieves Guild, they operate from there" Scott continued as though she hadn't spoke. "They are a-"

"They do what they say on the tin" Logan butted in, "They steal shit. Expensive shit."

Scott sighed and shook his head.

Bobby snorted, "What does that matter to us?" he asked, "We're not the cops."

"It matters Bobby, because they've just agreed to take a job for Senator Kelly" Scott put in.

Rogue's blood turned cold.

She would be the first to admit she didn't know a lot about Senator Kelly, but what she did know she didn't like. She'd seen him on the news preaching about the dangers of Mutants and their powers. He was the main proponent for the Mutant Registation Act and she wouldn't be at all surprised if she found out he was also a member of Friends of Humanity, the biggest mutant hate group around.

"So not good for us then?" Jubilee asked.

"Wouldn't have been so bad if Cyclops had let me go in there and rough some people up" Logan put in, unsheathing his claws menacingly.

Scott rolled his eyes, "The Thieves Guild are powerful and rich, it would be stupid to make an enemy from them."

"Seems like they just made one from us" Bobby pointed out, "They're selling us out down the river."

Scott opened up the folder on the table for the first time and pulled out a picture that he placed in the middle of the table. Rogue cocked her head to consider it. The man in the picture was obviously a mutant, his strange red and black eyes gave that away. He was also by far the most beautiful man Rogue had ever seen. He had a strong jaw, floppy brown hair and a permanent five o'clock shadow.

Just looking at the picture was making her blush.

"Who's he?" Kitty asked, her thought train obviously on the same tracks as Rogue's.

Colossus glanced at her, his brow furrowed.

"He Kitty, is none other than Remy LeBeau" Scott answered, "The youngest son to the Patriarch of the Thieves Guild, Jean-Luc LeBeau."

"But, he's a mutant!" Jubilee burst out.

"He's betraying his own kind, for what?" Emma said softly, "Is there really no honour among thieves."

"So what we gonna do, capture him?" Bobby asked.

"No" Scott answered, "Our plan is to place someone undercover in a building operated by the Thieves, from there they will get close to Remy and attempt to learn as much as they can about the Thieves' involvement with Senator Kelly."

"There is a nightclub not too far from the Guild Headquarters called Roxy's" Jean said, "It's known for its beautiful waitresses and high priced drinks. It's owned by the Thieves, we assume they use it to launder money and entertain clients."

"We need someone to pose as a cocktail waitress" Scott said.

Kitty and Jubilee both looked at each other, as though attempting to guess which of the two of them would be picked. In Rogue's opinion Emma would be a much better choice, she was a telepath after all. It would take her two seconds to find out what the guild were planning.

Rogue was so caught up in her own thoughts she didn't realise Scott had been looking at her until the entire room went silent.

She glanced up when he raised his eyebrows, finally catching his meaning she burst into hysterical laughter. "Ya'll cain't be serious" she snorted.

"Why not?" he asked, eyebrows still raised. "I can't think of anyone better."

"Emma?" Rogue suggested, shaking her head as though this entire things was ludicrous. "She's gorgeous, witty an' she has a rockin' body" Rogue pointed out, "Not tah mention, she can read minds!"

Scott sighed again.

"Thank you for pointing out all of my features Scott seems to have overlooked, Rogue" Emma said sweetly, her blue eyes smiling. "Unfortunately you have also overlooked something."

"Remy is immune to telepaths" Scott put in, glaring at Emma who had obviously been snooping in his thoughts. "It's part of his mutation, he has a static shield around his brain that stops anyone from reading his mind."

"Handy" Bobby muttered.

"Look Rogue, I understand why you're apprehensive" Scott said softly, "But I'll level with you, I think you're the best person to send on this mission."

"'Cos o' mah mutation?"

"No, because of your attitude" Scott continued, "I don't want you to absorb Remy, I want you to get him to trust you. He's a real snake charmer, and with your attitude I really think you're one of the few people here that could handle him."

"Well" Rogue sighed, blushing slightly at Scott's compliment. "With that glowin' recommendation, how can a gal say no?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own the prime piece of Cajun beef._

 **Chapter Two**

Things were rarely simple in the Mansion of the Thieves Guild.

Of course, that was only to be expected, the place was just wall to wall with professional liars and pick pockets. It was hard to get an honest conversation out of anybody, but not quite as hard as it was to hold on to all of your possessions.

Remy was hiding.

In all truth, Remy LeBeau did not hide. He was not a coward, he did not run away and let others deal with his problems for him. But just this once he had needed some peace and quiet, and had decided that the roof was as good a place as any to find it. He lit up his second cigarette and took a long drag, savouring the sweet buzz of the nicotine. It wouldn't be long before someone found him, and he had to make the most of it while he could.

He was just sick of listening to others tell him how he should live his life, when he knew perfectly well that he didn't want any of their suggestions.

Remy hadn't been back in New Orleans for long, his exile had only been lifted a mere 18 months ago and he felt as though he was still treading a fine line between peace and sorrow.

His exile had been sentenced by Marius Boudreaux, the Patriarch of the Guild of Assassins. Remy's Guild and theirs had been feuding for as long as anyone could remember and it didn't seem like history was going to change any time soon.

Years ago, when Remy had been a mere child, he had dreamed of uniting both Guilds under one banner. Since he'd grown, he'd learnt it was pointless to dream. Back then he had been so young, a mere twenty year old, and he had fallen in love. With the daughter of Marius, one Belladonna Boudreaux. The princess of the Assassins.

Well, no one could have predicted such an unprecedented turn of events.

Both Marius and Remy's father, Jean-Luc LeBeau, had been overjoyed at the thought of a marriage between their children. What better way to bind the Guild's forever? There couldn't have been a happier way to end the feud.

So, he and Belle wed and he didn't think he'd ever been so happy.

Unfortunately, Belladonna's brother Julian was none too pleased by the union. He had accused Remy of hoodwinking his sister, told him he would never been good enough and pulled out a six inch blade, claiming he was going to take Remy's life. It was safe to say that Remy wasn't about to take that lying down. There had been a struggle, and Julian was killed.

Remy still felt sick thinking about it now. He didn't like killing, he never did it if he could avoid it and he hadn't meant to that day either. Unfortunately, Marius did not take the death of his only son well. He banished Remy from New Orleans, threatening his return would mean his death.

For years Remy had drifted from place to place, never settling and never feeling quite at home.

That was until a year and a half ago, when Marius Boudreaux breathed his last and his only daughter, Belladonna, took his place as head of the Guild.

Her first order was to remove the exile on Remy, and he had come home.

He really wished he could say it made him happy.

The problem was that everyone was hoping to carry on as though the last five years had never happened. His family never mentioned his absence, choosing to gloss over it as though it was a mere slip up. His father did nothing but push him into jobs he didn't want to do and push him into the arms of a woman he didn't want.

He took a long drag from his cigarette.

That was one of the things he'd realised during his time away from the Guild, that he really wasn't in love with Belladonna. He cared for her, of course he did, he'd known her since he was a child. But he didn't love her the way he had when he was eighteen years old. The only thing he could think to explain it was that it hadn't been love at all, merely lust.

Or maybe he'd just loved the idea of uniting the Guild's more than he had ever really loved Belle.

Happily, she seemed to agree with him. Or she did because that was what he wanted. But he had caught her stealing glances at him, smiling coyly across the room and batting her eyelashes. He was afraid she wanted to start where they'd left off five years ago.

He knew he couldn't do that.

So when Jean-Luc had turned around and asked why he wasn't paying his wife any attention, Remy had turned around and given his father a piece of his mind.

The constant badgering made him just antsy to leave, and maybe he would if he had anywhere to go.

He sighed as he heard a rustle from the other side of the roof.

Someone had come for him.

"Remy" a voice said softly, and he turned to see his cousin Etienne glaring at him with narrowed eyes. "Jean-Luc is askin' fo' yo'."

Remy rolled his eyes and flicked his cigarette butt of the roof, "What he wan' wit' poor ol' Remy dis time?" he asked.

"Don't know none 'bout dis poor or ol'" Etienne mocked, already turning to leave, "Mais yo' best not keep him waitin'."

Etienne disappeared without a word and Remy sighed again as he got up. Well, the boy might be right. Jean-Luc sure did get on his nerves but he didn't like to be kept waiting. With that in mind Remy scaled the side of the building and shimmied down the drainpipe until he reached the right room. He climbed onto the balcony and stepped through the door, not bothering to wait to be invited.

"Yo' sent f'r m'" he said, affectively announcing his presence.

Jean-Luc had his back to him, he was looking up at a huge set of blue prints he had tacked to the wall. "How much longer would it have taken for yo' t' use de door" he chastised, turning to survey his youngest son.

Remy merely shrugged, dropping himself into the nearest chair and lounging as though he didn't have a care in the world.

"Know how much yo' hate t' be kept waitin'" he said simply.

"Den why yo' still not made t'ings up wit' yo' wife?" the older man shot back.

Remy strongly resisted the urge to roll his eyes, what was it with thieves and just not getting the hint?

"She'll only be m' wife s'long as it takes us t' get an annulment."

"Belle will never agree t' dat" Jean-Luc looked shocked.

"Sho' she will" Remy grinned, "De heir t' de Assassin's Guild gotta be born somehow, an' it sho' ain't gonna be m' son."

"But Remy-"

"Jean-Luc" Remy cut him off, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I ain't goin' over dis again."

Jean-Luc's eyes hardened like stones, "Yo' have t' produce an heir t' dis Guild one day too" he pointed out.

"Ain't gonna be yo' heir, Jean-Luc" Remy said, he felt like a broken record that had been playing all the same tracks for the past year. "Ain't never gonna be de Patriarch, nor produce little thieves f'r yo' t' manipulate."

"Remy-"

"Give de job t' Henri" Remy cut across him again, "He yo' only son."

"Yo' are my son."

"Ain't no father would do t' his son what yo' did too me."

"Don't know how many times I can 'pologise."

Remy shook his head, "Never gonna be 'nough, Jean-Luc" he said simply.

Jean-Luc sighed and ran his fingers though his hair, taking a seat at the chair behind his desk. "Yo' never did make it easy on me, even when yo' were a pup."

"Yo'd get bored."

Jean-Luc let out a bark like laugh, "Mebe" he agreed. "Mais yo' will always b' family Remy, dat be de truth whether yo' like it or not."

"Huh" Remy grunted, "Dat all yo' called m' in here t' say den, Jean-Luc?" he asked.

For the first time since he'd entered the room the Patriach of the Thieves Guild looked uncomfortable. His eyes glanced guiltily at the table, "Well-"

It was Remy's turn to laugh, "O' course not!" he burst out, "Den spit it out, Jean-Luc, what job yo' sendin' Gambit on dis time?"

Jean-Luc narrowed his eyes at his youngest son before tossing a folder across the table, "Here" he said, his voice filled with venom.

Remy tipped his head, saluting his father with two fingers before getting up to leave. He'd barely reached for the door handle before Jean-Luc spoke again.

"Oh an Rem, need yo' t' keep an eye on Roxy's f'r me" he sounded amused as he said it, "G't t' keep de clients sweet an' g't a couple o' new girls startin'" he laughed, "Yo' know how it is."

Remy narrowed his eyes as his stormed out of his father's office without looking back.

Oh, he knew how it was all right.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Nothing here is owned by me, that unfortunately includes Remy LeBeau._

 **Chapter Three**

After Rogue had agreed to be part of the mission things seemed to get real simple. Suddenly what she said and what she wanted just didn't seem to matter anymore, everyone else had a say it what she wore and how she acted and it was starting to drive her a little bit crazy.

Bobby had come to find her straight after the meeting to tell her he thought this was a really stupid idea. He'd been mid way through a rant about how dangerous her powers could be, and how inexperienced she was with dealing with men and how she'd no doubt blow their cover because she couldn't keep her cool. That was up until she'd turned around and told him she really didn't give a damn what he thought.

It had stung the edges of only recently healed wounds when he'd accused her of being inexperienced.

Of course she was inexperienced, the only person she'd ever gotten close to was him and what a laugh that had turned out to be.

Then she'd gotten angry when he'd lectured her about how dangerous her mutation was. Like she didn't already know that in the first place.

It was her mutation.

If he was hoping his little pep talk would scare her off this mission then he had been wrong. It just made her even more determined to succeed.

The girls hadn't been much help either. She'd had Kitty flitting around telling her what she should wear and how she should style her hair in a way that would make her look more sexy. She'd been dragged around the mall by Jubilee who'd thrown her into all sorts of outfits she wouldn't even consider wearing in front of other people. Even Emma had joined in, constantly filling her head with tips on how to flirt and how to smile in a way that was alluring but not too obvious.

Who even knew such things were possible?

In the end, she'd just had enough. When Jubilee and Kitty had announced they were taking her to the Mall for the third time that week she'd ran away as fast as her legs could carry her, and hadn't looked back.

She was currently hiding deep in the mansion garage, sitting astride on Logan's motorcycle and pondering over what she should do.

She'd agreed to this mission without really thinking about it, and now that she did she had to wonder if she really was capable of it. Bobby had been right when he said she was inexperienced, and this Remy LeBeau didn't exactly look like a novice when it came to the ladies. Just his face in that picture had her heart palpitating.

What was taking a look at the real thing going to be like?

Maybe Bobby was right, she just wasn't cut out for this sort of mission. Even if she could form a coherent thought in his presence, she'd never be able to get close enough to touch the man. The entire scheme seemed more than a little half assed to her.

In fact, she had just about convinced herself to go and tell Scott she'd changed her mind when Logan walked straight into the garage.

She frowned and sat back down on his bike, "How'd yah fahde me?" she demanded.

"You left me a trail of bread crumbs" he growled. "An' Kitty mentioned she'd tried to take you to the mall, she'd never look for you here."

"Figures" she muttered, turning away from him.

She heard him move deeper into the garage, making his way towards her. Logan wasn't great at talking about feelings or emotional conversations, so she guessed he was trying to figure out a way to start. She decided to help him out. If she hadn't wanted to talk about it so desperately too, she might not have been so charitable.

"Yah here tah talk meh outta it?" she asked softly.

She felt him sigh as he settled beside her, turning she saw he had taken a seat on the bonnet of Scott's shiny red convertible. Rogue merely raised an eyebrow.

Logan's mouth drew up in a half smile before he said, "You know I wouldn't force you into anything, darlin'."

"But yah don't lahke tha ideah?"

Logan shrugged, "Well, it was old One-eye's plan" he said simply, "We don't agree on much."

Rogue frowned.

"Rogue" Logan sighed, "We're friends, right?"

"Ah sure do hope so, Logan" she smiled.

"Well, good" he hedged, "'Cus I'm only here to offer friendly advice."

"Hit meh with it, sugah."

"You ain't vulnerable, Rogue" he said simply, "You ain't no fool an' you ain't one to be taken for a ride, that's why Cyclops picked you for this mission."

"I'm sensing a but.."

"You are inexperienced."

"Ain't that the truth."

"Did I say it was a bad thing?" She glanced up to see Logan staring at her, his eyes hard and his jaw set. "Look Rogue, I know what men like him are like."

"An' Ah don't" Rogue pointed out.

"They ain't so hard to predict" Logan said, "The LeBeau kid is rich and good lookin' which all amounts to one thing, an ego the size of a house."

"So?"

"So" Logan mimicked, laughing, "The punk is probably used to girls fawning all over him, give him one shot of that attitude of yours and he won't know what hit him."

It was Rogue's turn to laugh, "Logan, ain't yah tha charmer."

If it had been possible for him to blush he would have, as it was he simply looked down at the ground and said gruffly, "I care about you Rogue, and if this punk does so much as breath on you I'll kill him."

Rogue smiled, "Thanks Logan" she said, before reaching out to place her hand on his shoulder.

He didn't say anything more, just paused as though he was savouring the contact before getting up and clearing his throat, "We should get a move on anyway" he said, "Scott called a meeting."

"When?" Rogue asked, hopping off Logan's bike and following him towards the exit.

"'Bout a half hour ago."

Rogue rolled her eyes, "So this pep talk was all in aid of pissin' off Scott?"

"Nah" Logan smiled crookedly, "But it was a bonus."

Rogue shook her head as she followed Logan in silence down the corridor towards the War Room. She was sure that Scott wouldn't be happy about being kept waiting, but she was also glad that Logan had sought her out to speak to her.

Even if no one else thought she could do it, at least she had Logan on her side.

For now, that was enough.

As they entered the War Room she saw only Scott and Kitty sat together at the end of the big conference table. Whatever Scott needed to say obviously wasn't important enough to be said to the entire team. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not.

"Nice of you to join us" Scott commented as the two of them sat down together. She didn't know what it was about Scott Summers, but something about a telling off from him had her feeling as though she was back in seventh grade and she'd cheeked a teacher. She stared down at the table meekly.

"Cool your jets, Cyke" Logan growled, never to be phased by anyone. "We were just having a chat about a few things."

Scott glanced between the two of them but decided to let the subject drop, instead he geared straight back up into leader mode. "We decided to have one last meeting before we head over to New Orleans tomorrow."

Rogue's stomach trembled at the thought of leaving in a mere twelve hours.

Scott however didn't seem to notice, and carried on with his monologue. "Thanks to Jean and Emma you have been hired by Roxy's as their new cocktail waitress" he told her, "They have all your paperwork and your first day is Tuesday."

Just two days from now. Her stomach trembled again.

As though sensing her anxiety Logan reached out for her hand under the table. She smiled gratefully and returned his reassuring squeeze.

"We've decided that so you don't have to be completely alone and in deep cover, Kitty is going to cover as your room mate."

Rogue was too shocked to say anything. But it did explain why the perky little brunette was sat with them in the war room, grinning away as though Christmas has come early.

Logan seemed to recover his voice first, "She ain't an X-man yet."

"Then consider this her first initiation" Scott glared at Logan as Kitty's smile slipped from her face.

"So let me get this straight" Logan said loudly, letting go of Rogue's hand to place both of his forearms on the table. If there was one person who wasn't afraid to voice his opinion, it was Logan. "You let Rogue take stick all week for not being ready, but you're gonna send Pryde in without so much as a practice run?"

"Logan" Rogue hissed.

"Look, Wolverine" Scott cut over the top of her, sounding increasingly more annoyed. "We need someone who can stand next to Rogue and blend it. Remy LeBeau is a thief, he likes his women fast and flashy." Scott turned to glance at Kitty, "Kitty looks like the girl next door, I assure you she is not our Cajun's type."

"Jus' checkin' why you're in charge, bub" Logan said, settling back into his chair as if nothing was amiss.

Scott sighed again. Leading the X-men seemed to be an ever loving joy. However, he wasn't one to be phased for long and took up where he left off without any encouragement. "You'll be based out of a flat on the French Quarter, we'll set things up so that Kitty can start trying to hack into their computer systems. They're thieves so I'm expecting their security to be pretty top notch."

Rogue nodded in agreement.

"Finally, as Logan hasn't stopped badgering me for a week" their fearless leader turned to glare at Logan through his red tinted glasses. The Wolverine didn't even have the decency to look apologetic. "Me and Logan are coming too, as potential clients."

There was a pause while everyone digested this information.

Rogue wasn't sure if Scott had thought this all the way through. He was sending her in undercover to find out information about Senator Kelly, a mutant hater. Yet Scott wanted to walk into the very same club, wearing his ostentatious sunglasses in the middle of the night, and hope they didn't guess he was a mutant.

Didn't seem like such a master stroke in the plan.

Fortunately she wasn't the only one who thought this.

"Er, you sure that's such a good idea, Scott?" Kitty asked.

Scott furrowed his brows, "Why wouldn't it be?" he asked.

"Well" Rogue considered for a moment, "We are supposed tah be findin' out about a mutant hate group."

"Exactly " Kitty agreed, "and no offence Scott, but if there's anything that stands up and shouts, hey I'm a mutant look at me, it's red tinted sunglasses. Especially when you wear them inside."

"They don't have anything against mutants, we already know that Remy is one" Scott sounds exasperated, he had obviously run out of patience with his authority being questioned. "I won't make contact with Rogue, just snoop around and pretend to be rich."

"Yah gonna be joinin' him, Logan?" Rogue asked.

"If you two think this is a road trip and you can get out of havin' chaperones then you're wrong" Logan growled in response, "Me and Cyke are comin'."

"Well, now we're all feelin' nice an' cosy" Rogue grinned, "Anythin' else?"

"Be in the hanger bay at six tomorrow morning" Scott said with a note of finality in his voice.

"Right then" Rogue nodded, "Let's get this show on the road."


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Nothing here is mine, including the tall, dark and handsome Cajun._

 **Chapter Four**

If Jean-Luc thought that giving Remy the job of taking care of Roxy's was going to soften him up, then the old man was losing his mind in his old age.

Sure, Remy loved Roxy's. He loved the soft, jazzy music and the dim lighting. He loved the expensive bourbon they served and the plush, leather seats. He especially loved the women. Roxy's was a classy establishment, but it was well known for its high end cocktail waitresses. A girl had to be practically run-way ready before she was accepted for a job at Roxy's.

Yet, as much as Remy loved it, he also hated it. Because Jean-Luc had stuck him here to try and get him back on side.

It wasn't going to work.

It would take more than a few nights in the company of several beautiful woman to bring Remy around to Jean-Luc's way of thinking. There was nothing he wanted less than to run the Guild of Thieves, the sooner his old man accepted that, the better.

"Don't know why yo' complain' m'self" his brother Henri said from beside him. They were walking to Roxy's together for the night shift. Henri had a prospective client to meet and Remy had to oversee a couple of the new girls and make sure everything was in order. "Be more dan happy t' run de family."

"Den yo' do it!" Remy burst out, rolling his eyes impatiently. "Done tol' Jean-Luc 'nugh times dat yo' de man f'r de job."

"He hates it when yo' call him dat" Henri chastised, "'Sides he wants yo'."

"Den he gone be real disappointed" Remy hissed as they both past the bouncer on the way in.

"Why yo' always gotta be so stubbon?" he brother demanded.

"Ain't like we both don't know I'd be terrible f'r de job" Remy pointed out, "Jean-Luc jus' hopes I'll make t'ings up wit' Belle."

"An' dat ain't gonna happen?"

Remy turned to look at his brother, "Non" he said simply.

Herni shrugged, "Yo' sho' make t'ings hard, mon frere" he grinned and slugged Remy on the shoulder as they parted ways at the door. Henri made his way over to a table in the far corner to discuss business, while Remy looked around the floor to see how things were settling down.

He noticed her the moment he moved towards the bar.

Not because she was overly showy or loud, in fact she was probably the complete opposite, but she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had a round, heart shaped face with two huge green eyes and a pair of pouty pink lips. Her hair hung on either side of her face and down her back like an auburn waterfall in thousands of tiny winglets, save the two white stripes covering her eyes. But her body, oh Lord, her body. She was perfect, right from the curve of her backside to the length of her legs.

Who the hell was she?

She was definitely staff. There was no mistaking those tiny shorts and apron wrapped around her hips. Plus she was carrying a tray full of drinks. She definitely worked here.

How had he never seen her before? He was sure he would remember if he had, there was no way he would have forgotten a girl like her.

He turned to Charlotte, one of the girls working the bar, "Hey petite" he called her over, pointing in the direction of the Goddess. "Who she?"

Charlotte shrugged, "New girl" she said simply, before batting her eyelids. "You gonna be here all night, Remy?"

"Sho' am, peti't" he grinned, throwing her a wink and watching her blush as he turned around and focused his attention back on the woman in hand.

She was placing drinks on a table full of customers, smiling at them and laughing at something one of them said.

She was so beautiful it physically hurt.

He didn't know why, but he knew he had to talk to her.

He watched her move around the floor while he thought about how he could do it. It wouldn't be so hard, he could just go right up to her and introduce himself. She did work for him after all, it wouldn't be so out of the ordinary. But he didn't want to scare her right away by looming over and informing her that he was her new boss. That might make her edgy and definitely wouldn't turn the conversation in his favour.

As he watched her collecting empty glasses on a tray inspiration stuck.

He pushed off from the bar, moving swiftly towards the table she was at collecting drinks. He approached her from behind so she wouldn't seem him coming and walked so close they were almost touching. Just as he'd hoped she'd turned around swiftly without looking where she was going and walked right into him.

The empty glasses on her tray had fallen from her hands as she let out a groan.

"Oh, ah'm so sorry, how clumsy o' meh!" the words poured out of her mouth and wrapped around him like silk. She was from Mississippi, there was no mistaking that accent.

"No worries, pet't" he smiled charmingly, helping her pick up her tray and the empty glasses she had been carrying. After all, it had been his fault she had dropped them. "De fault was mine, should o' been watchin' where I was goin'."

She froze when she looked into his eyes, and he could tell she was sizing him up.

Most woman were unnerved the first time they looked into his eyes, not that he could blame them. Red on black wasn't exactly comforting. Yet she stared into them like they were the most beautiful gems she had ever seen. It was beginning to unnerve him a little.

"No, ah'm sorry" she reiterated, recovering herself slightly. "It's highly unprofessional tah be pourin' drinks all over the payin' customers."

"Den ain't it a good t'ing I ain't payin'" he grinned when her eyebrows knitted together, sticking his hand out towards her. "Remy LeBeau, at yo'r service."

"Oh Gawd" she drawled, ignoring his hand in favour of placing her gloved one over her mouth in embarrassment. "Ah jus' dropped mah drinks all over tha bosses' son."

Remy laughed, "Don' worry none, chere" he winked, "I promise n't t' hold it against yo', if yo' tell me somethin'."

Her green eyes widened.

"Is yo'r name as pretty as dat face o' yo'rs?"

It was her turn to laugh, "How 'bout yah tell me, Swamp Rat?" she teased, "Mah name is Marie."

Remy stooped down to take hold of one of her gloved hands and plant a kiss on the back, "Enchante, Marie" he said softly.

She blushed. It wasn't a delicate flush that turned her cheekbones pink, it was a tomato red that covered her entire face and spread down her neck. Either she wasn't a very delicate blusher or she really wasn't used to being on the receiving end of male attention.

How interesting.

He just looked at her with a politely puzzled expression on his face, waiting for her to proceed. He didn't like to go in all guns blazing when they'd only just met, it was so much easier to know how to proceed if he gave her a little room to breathe.

Little did he know, this girl was a game changer.

"Well" she said after a pause, "Ah'm sure Ah should get back tah work."

"What de rush, chere?" he asked, eyebrows raised and eyes twinkling. "Y' gettin' bored o' dis here Cajun?"

"O' course not!" she admonished, smiling just a little so a dimple pierced her right cheek. "But Ah'm sure yoar daddy ain't payin' meh tah stand around."

"S'true" Remy agreed, watching her as she eyed him warily through those glass green eyes. "Mais he put ol' Remy in charge, an' he don't mind none."

Marie laughed. It really was a beautiful sound, it was rich like dark chocolate and sounded just as sweet. "That so?" she teased.

"Sho' is, chere" he grinned, "Remy be here f'r a few months, jus' t' oversee things" he shrugged nonchalantly, "Sho' yo' know how 'tis."

Marie nodded seriously, "So yah'll be wantin' tah see what Ah can do?" she asked.

Remy was taken aback by her abruptness, he hadn't expecting things to start moving this fast so soon. But he'd be damned if he was going to let a perfectly good opportunity go to waste. It just so happened he was on form tonight, and his charms were working faster than usual.

"More dan yo' know, chere" he said softly, moving a little closer to her.

She nodded again, her green eyes glittering in the lights of the bar. He took that as his green light and just as he reached out to touch her face she said, "Right yah are, Mista LeBeau" and turned to march over to the bar with her tray full of empty glasses.

Well it was safe to say that caught him off guard.

Had he not been making his feelings obvious? He'd thought his charms had been at maximum power, and he'd been certain she'd be only more than willing to join him for some late night activities between the sheets.

Yet there she was, taking more drinks orders and laughing with customers when she should have been over here succumbing to his charms.

Maybe he was losing it in his old age.

He shot that thought down straight away.

No, perhaps he had simply not conveyed what he'd wanted obviously enough. They had flirted a little but only in an undertone, and he could tell by her blush and the flavour of her emotions when he complemented her than she certainly wasn't used to it.

Ah, how he loved his empathic ability. It wasn't his signature mutation that he relied on most often, that was his ability to charge objects with kinetic energy and make them explode. He loved his mutation and it sure did come in handy. His added perks were the static shield around his mind that kept out those pesky psychics, and his ability to read people's emotions.

That wasn't a power he usually shouted about, and he probably wouldn't use it if he didn't have any other choice. His empathy was passive so he couldn't control it but it sure did come in handy. It was always useful to know what someone else felt about him, then he could change the way he acted based on their response.

He knew Marie found him attractive, so he flirted a little bit. The problem was that he'd thought she'd been flirting back, when really she was just trying to do her job.

He sighed and pondered over what to do next.

He could go back over and try to start up a new conversation, but he didn't want to seem as though he was desperate.

Instead he asked Charlotte to bring him the accounts from last week and a large glass a bourbon. He sat at a table at the very back of the club and took to watching her.

He watched the way she talked to the customers, always with a smile and a cheeky glint in her eye. He watched the way she moved and the way her body filled out that uniform. He watched her hair cascade down her back in thousands of tight mahogany ringlets. He also watched her little ticks. He watched the way he mouth would pull down into a frown whenever someone paid her just a little too much attention. He watched the way she constantly tucked her hair behind her left ear. But mostly he just watched the way she smiled.

He could probably watch that smile forever.

Unfortunately he couldn't be in his happy place forever, and the night had to come to an end.

As the girls started wiping down tables and the customers started making their way home for the evening, Henri decided to grace Remy with his presence.

"Productive night, mon frere?" he asked, taking the seat beside Remy and glancing down at the sheaths of paper.

"Sho' was" Remy agreed, his eyes still fixed to his new Southern Spitfire.

Henri followed his gaze before rolling his eyes "Tisk" he muttered, "Yo' gotta stop dis, Remy" he chastised.

Remy turned to look into his brother's disapproving eyes, "Quoi?"

Henri sighed, "Followin' round de Roxy's Girls wit' yo' tongue hangin' out."

"Yo' wound me!" Remy pretending to look offended.

"I'm sho" his brother shook his head, "If yo' want a warm bed den maybe yo' should make up wit' yo' wife."

"Ain't going over dis again, frere" Remy bit out.

"Jus' sayin'-"

"Wish yo' people would let Remy make up his own mind" he growled, standing to leave without waiting for his brothers reply. The last thing he wanted to listen to right now was another lecture about Belladonna.

Instead he looked around to try and find Marie. He'd lost her due to his brief distraction courtesy of Henri and he couldn't let her leave without trying his luck again.

He spotted her near the entrance to coat check, chatting to a girl he didn't recognise. She was at least a head smaller than Marie and she had soft brown hair pulled up into a long ponytail that swung down her shoulders. She was wearing a pink cardigan and looked far too perky and bubbly for his tastes.

As if he could pay attention to anyone else with Marie in the room.

His made his way over to this girls, they seemed to be having an argument of some kind and Remy wasn't one to interrupt but he couldn't let her leave without trying to make some sort of impression.

"Gal, yah are gonna be the death o' meh" Marie drawled, pulling on her coat and throwing her friend a contemptuous glance.

"Just one drink" her friend begged, "I can't bare to go back to that flat and stare at those four walls all night."

"Ah jus' worked all night, Ah ain't about tah paint tha town red."

"Maybe a little bit of pink then?"

Marie huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Yo' girls off out f'r a drink?" he thought this seemed the appropriate moment to interrupt.

They both whipped round with a synchronism that would have been funny if it wasn't so adorable. Both of their faces were flushed and their eyes glittered. However, Remy was only interested in the bright green ones over the shiny blue.

Marie seemed lost for words so her friend shot in with a response, "I was just hoping to see some of the local nightlife" she said, her voice a little breathy.

"Don't t'ink we've had de pleasure, pet't" he smiled warmly, holding his hand out. He was pleased when she took it and leaned down to place a kiss on the back. This was the normal response he got from women, not the oblivious stare he was receiving from Marie.

"Oh, ah'm sorry" she opened her mouth and that sweet Mississippi drawl washed over him, "This is mah roommate, Kitty Pryde" she turned to her friend, "Kit this is mah boss, Mistah LeBeau."

"Remy, please" he grinned, turning to look at Marie. "I sho' ain't old enough to be a mister."

Marie nodded in agreement before asking, "Was there anythin' else yah needed, Mis- Remy?"

He paused for a second. He had mentioned drinks and here she was reverting back to her employee status. Didn't she know it was possible to be friendly with the boss? Or a little more than friendly, he hoped. He would have to set her straight on that as soon as possible.

"N't at all, chere" he smiled, "Yo' shift is done, feel free t' make yo' way home."

She nodded and looked just about ready to leave. She was so eager to run away from him he had to resist the urge to check in he smelled funny. That didn't seem to be the case as her perky little roommate was staring up at him as though he was chocolate covered and gift wrapped. He ignored her, best not get distracted.

"Dat is, unless yo' girls needed a tour o' de N'Awlins night life" he spread his arms open and grinned, "Jus' so happens one is available."

Kitty giggled but Marie shook her head.

"That sure is sweet Mis- Remy" she smiled, "But Ah'm bushed, and sure am ready foar mah bed. Maybe some other time."

Kitty opened her mouth, as though she was about to suggest she'd love to accompany him.

He cut her off, "How 'bout dis Cajun walk yo' home den?" he suggested, he was even starting to sound pathetic in his own head. "Ain't gentlemanly t' let a lady make her own way back."

"Don't cha worry yoarself, Mis- Remy" Marie smiled, "Ah'm sure yoar real busy here, an' Ah got Kitty tah keep me company, ain't that right sugah?"

Kitty nodded enthusiastically.

"So Ah'll see yah on mah next round, Mistah LeBeau" with that as a farewell she smiled and threw him a wink, before linking arms with her roommate and making her way to the exit.

How many times had she just turned him down? Twice? Three times? He felt rather dejected. He was tempted to run after her and demand to know when she was next working, but his behaviour was beginning to scare even him a little so instead he turned to the bar.

Henri was stood leaning against it with a cat got the canary grin plastered on his face, "Losin' dat charm, mon frere?" He teased.

"P'shaw, ain't likely."

"De girl know she too good for yo'."

"S'true enough" Remy agreed, "But don't no one know Remy never miss when he shoots f'r de pretty girl."


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Nothing here is mine, unfortunately._

 **Chapter Five**

Rogue lay in bed the next morning unable to think about anything other than Remy LeBeau.

It was wrong really, she shouldn't be thinking about him at all. He was her mission, and that was it. But she really couldn't help herself, the man was obnoxiously attractive. Right down to his rich like chocolate voice that practically wrapped around her and made her toes curl. If she'd thought that picture of him was attractive, the man in the flesh was practically an Adonis.

He was taller than her by at least a head and his body was filled out with long, wiry muscles that were not quite as bulky as Wolverine's but big enough to suggest he worked out. He walked like a cat, on a constant prowl and silent like a shadow. His body seemed to slink around and flowed across the floor like water. She wondered if it was his years of thieving that had taught him to walk without leaving a sound.

He had a strong jaw line that was spattered with a permanent five o'clock shadow and perfect ruby lips that seemed to be constantly smirking. His brown hair was long and flopped into his flawless ruby on onyx eyes that took her breath away. The picture of them had really done them no justice. Whenever he looked her straight in the eye she'd felt her entire body freeze.

She could look into those eyes forever.

She shook herself out of those thoughts. She should not be thinking like this. Remy LeBeau was not a good man, he was a liar, a thief and for all intensive purposes, a traitor to his own race. He was her mission and she should not be thinking about him as her own personal eye candy.

That didn't stop her though.

She indulged herself for a few more minutes while she listened to the sounds of pots and pans crashing around it the kitchen. She knew it was late on in the afternoon but she hadn't finished her shift until the early hours of the morning and all the travelling they had done the day before had knocked her out completely.

She had another shift that afternoon and had planned to spend what remained of her day lying in bed and thinking unchristian thoughts about Remy.

It was nice to have someone to be around that didn't flinch whenever they saw her walking towards them. Sure, Logan was pretty nonchalant about touching her and Kitty tried her best not to look scared whenever Rogue leaned in for a hug but she knew the truth. She couldn't blame them after all, it was simply a matter of self preservation. No one wanted to be near someone who could kill them just through touch.

So it was nice for Rogue to be able to pretend that something actually could happen with Remy. He was certainly more than willing and she couldn't help but enjoy his attention, it wasn't as though she was used to it. Of course she knew it wasn't real, but it would be nice while it lasted.

Unfortunately, no one seemed to want to leave her alone for too long.

She groaned when a knock sounded against her door.

"There ain't no one home!" she yelled.

Logan seemed to take that as an invitation to walk right in and make himself comfortable. He looked slightly amused as he glanced at her, her hair sticking up on one side and her eyes half open.

"Still ain't one fer mornin's I see" he commented, grinning down at her.

"Ah lahke 'em jus' fahne when Ah don't got tah go nowhere."

"I brought somethin' that should help" he held out a steaming mug as though it might tempt her to throw of the covers and join him in putting on some clothes and starting her day.

"Unless it's foar gettin' more sleep, then Ah ain't interested" she complained into her pillow, turning her back to him in the hope he would get bored and leave.

Unfortunately Logan was not one to be deterred.

He marched over and pulled the duvet clean off her body, tossing it to the other end of the room and thrusting the coffee cup into her hands. She sat up and stared at him blearily, accepting her coffee and taking a begrudging sip.

Damn it was good.

"Di'nt think wake up calls were yoar thing, Logan" she commented.

"Don't blame me" he held his hands up in front of him, "Scott called a meetin' an' I figured you could use some time to prepare yourself."

Rogue rolled her eyes and took another sip of coffee, "What the hell foar?" she demanded, clambering off the bed and avoiding stepping too close to Logan as she made her way over to her closet. She only wore a cami and some shorts to bed and she didn't think absorbing the big, bad Wolverine right before her second shift would make such a good impression. Plus, growling at Remy would probably just give him the wrong idea. "Ah'm here ain't ah?" she sighed, "We're doin' tha mission, what more is there tah say?"

"Beats me, kiddo" Logan shrugged, "But Cyke just loves his group therapy sessions, so get dressed."

With that as a farewell he left the room and gave her a little privacy.

She hoped all of her mornings weren't going to start like this, she could do without this constant surveillance if they wanted her to do her job.

She'd thought she'd done pretty well last night. Remy had been outright flirting and she'd managed to discretely block his advances without making it obvious what she was doing. She hadn't expected him to take to her so soon, she was sure it was going to take weeks of work before he'd even glanced in her direction.

Instead he'd asked her out at least twice, and spent the entire night watching her.

Surely it shouldn't be this easy.

Quickly she pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and made her way out into their kitchen, it usually wasn't a good idea to keep Scott waiting.

Sure enough the other three members of this little band were already sitting around the table enjoying what looked like lunch. Rogue seemed to have skipped breakfast, but she was too hungry to complain. She simply took a seat with the others and started to chow down.

Unfortunately this did not deter Scott, who seemed to enjoy their constant de-briefings. "Well, now that Rogue's here I think we should discuss last night."

"Ain't nothin' tah say" Rogue shrugged, eyes on her plate.

"Kitty said you spent all night spurning his advances."

Rogue turned to glare at the perky little phaser, who was looking far too rosy for so early in the day. Or maybe it wasn't that early, she wasn't even sure.

Kitty held her hands up in front of her, "I never said it was a bad thing!" she defended.

"Well, I do" Scott said simply, "How are you planning to extract information when you refuse to let him get close."

Rogue put her knife and fork down, "Cyclops, ya'll trusted me with this mission" she said, "Yah gotta trust Ah know what Ah'm doin'. Remy ain't gonna get close tah meh jus' cos Ah'm beautiful, he needs more of an incentive."

Scott's brow furrowed, "But he's already interested."

"Yeh, but what is he interested in?" Logan laughed.

"Remy ain't used tah bein' rejected, could tell that by the look on his face last night" Rogue smiled, "Ah read in his file he lahkes tah gamble, figured ah'd go with the thrill of the chase an' all that."

"You really think that will work?" Scott didn't seem convinced.

Kitty rolled her eyes, "Do you know anything about romance, Scott?" she asked.

Logan laughed.

"I am the only one here who's married" he pointed out.

"Poor Jean" Rogue shook her head and went back to her food, grinning. "She musta felt sorry for yah."

Both Logan and Kitty laughed, the side of Scott's mouth upturned slightly but he recovered himself quickly.

"Okay" he agreed, "I trust you know what you're doing, I'll stay out of it for now."

Rogue nodded gratefully, not stopping what she was doing.

"Kitty, how far are you getting with the computer system?"

"Well, you guys only finished setting it up yesterday" she started before quailing until Scott's stare, "But I had a quick surf around and you're right, their security is insane."

Scott nodded, "You keep on that, I have Hank waiting on standby if you need assistance." He turned his attention back to Rogue, who had just finished eating. Damn, she'd been sure she was safe for the rest of the day. "We need to plan our next move."

Rogue raised an eyebrow.

"How me and Logan are gonna get in" he pointed out.

"Maybe ya'll should wait and gauge Remy's reaction tah meh, before ya'll go crashing in there all guns blazin'."

"Rogue" Scott sighed, "We don't have a lot of time-"

"We're undercover, bub" Logan pointed out, "This is usually the long game."

"I realise that, thank you Wolverine" Scott bit out, "But it could take her weeks to form a connection with Remy and by then the Thieves might have fed the Senator all sorts of information."

Logan shrugged, "I don't think it will be that hard."

"How'd yah figure that?" Rogue asked.

"Well, if I had a thing fer a girl I worked with I'd just memorize her schedule, then I could always be around when she is."

Scott frowned.

"So, if Remy is at the club tonight that means he likes Rogue?" Kitty asked.

Logan nodded, always the man of little words.

"Then Ah ought not disappoint him" Rogue smiled, getting up from the table and leaving before anyone else called her back.

She realised this was a dangerous game she was playing, but Logan had always taught her to follow her instincts and right now her instincts were telling her that if she was too easy, then Remy would get bored.

Quickly she jumped in the shower and washed her hair before drying herself off and dressing in her Roxy's uniform. She still wasn't sure how she felt about waist high shorts andfishnet tights but there wasn't much point in complaining. After she dried her hair she pulled in back off her face into a long ponytail and let Kitty do her makeup.

She wanted Remy to be surprised when he saw her. He was expecting her to look the same as the night before, he might slip up a little easier if he was off his game.

Once she was ready she bid the others farewell and made her way out of the door. Scott had picked the perfect location for their hideout, and the flat was only a five minute walk away from the club. Before she knew it she was checking her coat at the door and making her way into the bar. They hadn't opened yet and the girls were still setting up, most cleaning down tables and setting up chairs.

"Hey, new girl" a voice called from behind the bar. She looked up to see the blonde barmaid from the night before glaring at her through cold grey eyes. "The boss wants to see you in his office."

"What foar?" Rogue asked, her eyebrows furrowing in concern.

The blonde simply shrugged, but she was wearing a vindictive smile that suggested she knew exactly why. Oh well, it wasn't like she was here to make friends.

Rather than reply she turned and made her way to the office behind the bar that she had spotted the night before. She wondered if Jean-Luc LeBeau had heard about her chatting with Remy and was here to tell her that her services were no longer required. Her blood turned cold at the thought, Cyclops would certainly skin her alive.

Rather than wait to find out her fate she briskly knocked on the door and opened it after a shout of, "Come in!"

She balked slightly when she saw it was not Jean-Luc sat behind the desk, but Remy. The stupid blonde had being trying to scare her. She filed that away for later, choosing to deal with one matter at a time.

Remy was gesturing for her to leave the doorway, "Come on in, pet't" he said warmly, indicating she should take a seat. "Yo' letting out all dis warm air."

She meekly closed the door and took a seat across from Remy, trying her best to look as intimidated as possible. It must have been working because Remy frowned down at her, seemingly concerned.

"Dere somethin' wrong, chere?" he asked softly, "Remy don't bite."

The look in his eyes suggested that sometimes he did. She pushed down another blush that threatened to warm her cheeks, she couldn't afford to seem embarrassed. "Not at all, Mista LeBeau." She answered softly, "Jus' wonderin' why yah called meh here."

"Ah Marie" he replied, shaking his head with a bemused smile. "Sho' I to' yo', dat ain't m' name."

"Yeah" she agreed, sounding apprehensive as she met the gaze of those gorgeous red eyes. "But yah are tha boss, aftah all."

"Non" Remy shook his head, "Jean-Luc is da boss, Remy jus' overseen' a few t'ings."

"Well, yah are in charge" Rogue pointed out.

"S'true" Remy agreed, "Mais yo' makin' dis one feel prehistoric wit' all yo' 'Mister LeBeau' talk."

Rogue giggled, she just couldn't help herself. "Ah'm real sorry, mis- Remy" she said meekly, "But Ah got mah habits."

"Sho' yo' do pet't" he grinned in agreement, his red eyes dancing with amusement. "An Remy got his."

"So, was that all yah wanted?"

"N't quite" his brow furrowed the way it had done last night when she's knocked back his invitation to take her to go for drinks. Like he couldn't quite understand what her rush to leave was. He had an ego the size of a small country and he really needed taking down a notch, or twelve. "Been t'inkin' a lot 'bout last night, an' I want yo' t' be happy here."

"That's real considerate, Mi- Remy."

He nodded tightly, "So on dat note, I hope we can be friends."

Rogue paused, wondering how to address this. She didn't want to scare him away by telling him they could never be friends, but she also didn't want to give him the wrong idea. "Ah sure hope we can be friendly too, Mista LeBeau" she smiled, pretending to be oblivious had worked before, she might as well try it again. "Yah are in charge, after all."

"But I want us t' be friends, Marie" he pressed, choosing to ignore her formal address. His eyes were burning they were so red, and he seemed almost desperate. She decided to cut him a little slack.

"Mista LeBeau" she started, "Remy" she sat up a little straighter and cleared her throat, "Ah'm real flattered that yah want us tah be friends" she said, her green eyes settling on his red ones. "But Ah have tah tell yah, ya'll are makin' meh a maht uncomfortable."

This seemed to surprise him. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "Dat weren't m' intention, chere" he said sincerely.

"Ah'm sure" Rogue agreed, "But yoar daddy ain't gonna be too happy with yah distractin' tha waitresses" she teased, "An' Ah really need this job."

Remy laughed, "Ah chere, mon pere brought dat on himself when he gave me dis job" he was teasing her now, his eyes bright. "An' Remy de only one likely t' get into trouble."

"Ah get the impression yoar used tah it."

She wasn't sure what had made her say it, but his teasing tone and shining red eyes had made her feel confident and she just wanted to see what it would be like to flirt a little.

Remy didn't seem to mind, on the contrary he leaned over and grinned at her like she was lunch and he hadn't eaten in days. "Wouldn't mind gettin' into some wit' yo' chere."

This time she flushed, she felt her cheeks get hot and her throat close up. Damn him, why did he have to be aware of how darn attractive he was? It was so off putting.

She cleared her throat, "Ah should really get tah work" she said, standing up.

"But we were jus' gettin' t' de fun part."

She looked down at him to see he was still grinning at her like a cat that had just got the cream. He was impossible to put off, in fact it just seemed to spur him on.

"Mista LeBeau-"

"Remy" he corrected.

"Remy, Ah ain't one of those girls" she said simply, "Maybe yah should call that blonde barmaid in here for a few moments."

His eyes glowed red and she had to physically restrain her gasp. He was so beautiful it made her heart ache.

He stood from behind his desk, moving until he was only inches from her. She had to work extremely hard not to take a step back or stiffen up. "Mais, she ain't no fun chere."

"Yah know, this could be classed as sexual harassment" she said conversationally.

"'S only harassment if yo' ain't enjoyin' it" Remy said softly, his red eyes burning softly like the dying embers of a fire. "An' somethin' tells m' yo' are."

Rogue had to laugh, "Yah'll have tah excuse me, Remy" she said, taking a step away from him and moving towards the door. "Yoar ego is takin' up a whole lotta space in tha room an' Ah'm a maht claustrophobic."

She quickly stepped back into the bar before he could catch her in another spell. She leaned back against the door as she heard him laughing to himself through the wood. She couldn't help but smile.

Round one to Rogue.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Nothing here belongs to me, that unfortunately includes one Remy LeBeau._

 **Chapter Six**

Oh she sure was a spitfire, there was no doubt about that.

Remy was still grinning when he thought about his exchange with Marie the previous night. The girl had some attitude, he had to give her that. Not that he was complaining, he liked a girl that could throw a few punches.

The problem was she was making it damn near impossible for him to get close to her, and how he wanted to get close to her.

Usually this was around the time in a courtship where Remy had bedded the woman he was after, or moved on to someone else. He wasn't one to go where he wasn't invited and when a lady told him no he didn't have to stick around to be told twice. But there was something about Marie, something about the sparkle in her green eyes and the defiance of her chin. Suddenly, it wasn't just about getting her into his bed. Of course, he'd like to get her there eventually, but for right now he just wanted to know more about her.

Henri had joked and told him he was losing his game, but then Henri had never learned to play. His brother had fallen in love with his wife Merci when he was sixteen years old, never looked at another woman again. Remy on the other hand had been around the block his fair share of times, he knew when a woman was worth gambling for.

Marie, she was the woman any gambler would risk the pot for.

When he had checked the roster the previous night and noted Marie had the night off he'd decided to hell with it, the club could probably survive one night without him. He'd somehow managed to avoid being cornered by Jean-Luc or lectured by Henri and grabbed one of his cousins, Emil. They'd headed out for a night on the town.

Unfortunately for Emil most of Remy's night consisted of playing poker, and the boy wasn't exactly gifted. Remy looked up from the table to see Emil lose the last of his money at roulette and shake his head dejectedly. Remy smirked as he went back to his game. He already had the majority of the chips piled up on his side of the table and decided to quit while he was ahead. He threw down his last hand before gabbing the remainder of his chips and heading over to where his cousin was.

"Come on, mon ami" he grinned, grabbing Emil and heading over to the bar. "Yo' could use a drink."

"Let's go somewhere else, Remy" Emil suggested, "De noise of dose slots is makin' m' loopy."

Remy nodded in agreement before buying everyone in the place a drink with his winnings. He was going away happy, might as well put some of his profit back into the till or they'd never let him come back. With a farewell salute to the man on the door he and his cousin made their way into the night.

"Why we really here, Rem?" Emil asked, never one to stay silent for long. "Been a long time since yo' had any sorrows t' drown away."

"Feelin' pretty cheerful m'self."

"Shame I know yo' better" Emil shot him a look.

Remy shrugged, "Had t' get out o' dat house" he said simply.

"Ain't so bad" Emil defended, "Mattie's a pretty good cook an' Jean-Luc's mood has improved a lot since yo' got back."

Remy snorted.

"Yo' not t'inkin' o' leavin' 'gain, are yo'?" his cousin asked.

Remy wished he could answer that.

A month ago he wanted nothing more than to leave. He wished he could use the excuse that he didn't have anywhere else to go as the reason he had stayed, but he'd never let that stop him in the past. The truth was that the Thieves Guild were the only family he had ever had, and he wasn't sure he could give them up.

There wasn't anyone else in the world who cared about him.

He was distracted from answering Emil by a flash of light that caught his attention through one of the long windows of the bar across the street. It was the wristwatch of a woman with long, mahogany hair that cascaded down her back in thousands of tight ringlets. She turned her head at just the right moment and Remy caught sight of her beautiful smile and sparkling green eyes. If he had thought Marie had looked beautiful the first time he saw her, right now she was a knockout.

She was wearing a sheer, see-though top with a cropped bra beneath that bared her midriff. The leather pants she had matched it with left him with no question as to if she was wearing anything beneath them.

She was breath taking.

"Ain't going nowhere, Emil" he answered, before taking off towards the club across the street.

His cousin followed apprehensively. Emil didn't always like Remy's choice of bars, but if Marie had chosen to enjoy her night here then he didn't see there could be much wrong with it.

There might have been many flaws to being a member of the Thieves Guild, but there were a couple of benefits too. Everyone in town knew who they were, and that usually meant they didn't have to trouble themselves with queuing to get inside. Sure enough after a few short words with the bouncer they were ushered into the club.

The floor was vibrating from the combination of loud music and swaying bodies on the dance floor and the lights were pulsing brightly from behind the bar. It wasn't Remy's usual haunt, the music in these places gave him a headache and the bright lights wreaked havoc on his sensitive eyes. He figured he could stomach just one night, for the company of Marie.

"What we doin' in here, Remy?" Emil asked.

Remy looked around for a second before he spotted her. She had taken a seat by herself on one of the far tables away from the dance floor and was sipping on an obnoxiously bright, fruity cocktail. He pointed towards her, "Dat what we doin' in here, mon ami."

Emil's gaze followed Remy's finger and his jaw got a little slack, ""Mon Dieu" he breathed, "De femme est magnifique.'

Remy frowned at his cousin, "Hands off, Emil" he chastised.

Emil rolled his eyes as he followed Remy over to Marie's table, "Yo' always get de pretty ones" he complained.

"Should learn t' work a bit faster" Remy teased.

Marie didn't noticed them until they were almost at her table, she grinned mischievously when his eyes met her green ones and they sparkled in the lights of the bar. He could feel a wave of warm energy around her emotions, she had obviously been drinking for a while and was a little bit tipsy.

Perfect.

"Why, hello Mista LeBeau" she drawled, grinning from ear to ear. "Yah followin' a gal on her night off?"

"Only one as pretty as yo', ma cherie."

"Always with the flattery" she teased.

"'M hopin' one day it might work."

"Keep tryin'."

Remy placed his hand on his heart, "De femme does nothin' bu' wound m'" his red eyes sparkled, "allow m' t' introduce m' cousin, Emil Lapin."

Emil reached out to take her gloved hand and place a kiss on the back, "Enchante, belle" he smiled.

Remy found it odd that she should be wearing gloves in a nightclub. She always wore gloves at the club too, they weren't a standard part of the uniform and most of the girls usually decided against them. It couldn't be because she was cold. In Louisiana the air temperature was usually hot and sticky around this time of year.

"So Remy ain't tha only charmer in tha family?" Rogue teased, her eyes flashing. He liked her when she'd had a drink, her sass came out in full force.

"De only one wit' any success" Remy corrected, elbowing his cousin in the arm.

"Ain't seen no proof o' that" Marie drawled.

Emil laughed, "De femme sho' ain't takin' it easy on yo' Rem."

Marie's green eyes hadn't left his, "He'd get bored."

He could have sworn his chest contacted as he tried to take a breath.

Luckily a distraction arrived in the form of her roommate. The young girl looked cute in her pink top that showed off the bare skin of her shoulders and her denim cut offs. The problem was she looked so sweet and innocent stood next to Marie, and Remy couldn't help but want to live dangerously.

"Hey, Rogue-" Kitty called, making her way back over to her friend. She paused when she caught sight of him and Emil stood there at the table, her blue eyes wide.

"Rogue?" Remy asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Jus' a dumb nickname" Marie shrugged, but he cheeks were starting to grow pink and she threw a glare at Kitty.

"Suits yo'" Remy complimented her, grinning away as though his Christmas had just come early.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Kitty, ya'll have already met Remy" she bit out, "This is his cousin, Emil."

Kitty held out her hand to which Emil dutifully lifted to his lips, "Kitty" she introduced herself breathily.

Emil grinned, "Remy never mentioned he knew such beautiful femmes."

"Tryin' t' keep de sweet stuff all t' m'self" Remy's eyes were still fixed on Marie.

"How 'bout I get yo' ladies a drink" Emil offered.

"That'd be real sweet, sugah" Marie drawled, smiling at Emil as though he was the cutest thing she ever did see. Why did she never look at him that way?

"I'll come and help" Kitty said, looping her arm through Emil's and following him to the bar. She subtly threw a wink to her friend.

"Well" Remy said softly, taking a seat beside Marie. "Yo' f'nally g't dis here Cajun t' yo'self, chere."

"Dreams really do come true" she breathed.

"Yo' more fun when yo' drunk" he commented, "Remy gonna have t' remember dat."

"Ah ain't drunk" she said, jutting her chin up definitely.

Remy laughed before holding out his hands to her, "Dance wit' yo' Cajun, chere" he breathed. He was using his charm to the maximum, reaching out to her with his glowing red eyes and latching on to the attraction and excitement he felt in her emotional climate. There was fear too, and apprehension, he just did his best to sooth her.

She took his hand.

He grinned in victory as he pulled her onto the dance floor and into his arms. She smelled like warm vanilla and sunshine, he tightened his grip on her waist and felt her tense in his arms.

"S'okay, chere" he murmured soothingly, rubbing little circles into her lower back with his thumb. "I ain't gonna hurt yo' none."

"Ah'm sorry" she stuttered, "Ah ain't much foar dancin'."

"Nice southern girl like yo'" he teased, spinning her around, "Don't believe dat f'r a second."

"S'true" she laughed, "Got two left feet."

"Well, lucky f'r yo' chere" he breathed, pulling her back against him. "I got two right ones."

He let his free hand wander her back, tracing indecent patterns with his fingers. He couldn't help it, Marie was more responsive than any women he had ever met. Every time his fingers whispered around her spine he felt her terror and pleasure simultaneously upswing.

He wondered if she'd ever had a boyfriend before. He was about to ask her when she spoke.

"Are yah always this handsy with gals yah don't know?" she asked.

Remy grinned as he twirled her across the dance floor before pulling her close against his chest, her cheeks flushed and she sighed. "'Cept I do know yo' chere" he said softly.

"We met two days ago."

"So?" he shrugged, "I know yo' fr'm Mississippi, yo' got a lot o' attitude in dat little body o' yo'rs an' yo' rock a pair o' leather trousers" he grinned lazily, "What more does a man need t' know?"

She laughed, "Yoar really somethin' yah know that, Cajun?"

"'S been said."

"Yah know, yoar barking up the wrong tree" she said conversationally, settling back into his arms and moulding herself against his chest.

"Porquoi?"

She smiled to herself, "A gal lahke meh has too much self preservation tah sleep with tha boss."

He froze dramatically in her arms and turned to her with wide eyes, "Chere" he said slowly, "Yo' tellin' m' dat if I weren't de boss man, we'd have had hot, passionate sex already?"

Rogue laughed, "In yoar wildest dreams, maybe."

"In m' wildest dreams it already happened" he breathed, his red eyes glowing softly. "'Least fifty times a day since we first met."

She blushed, "Mista LeBeau-" she started. He could feel discomfort colouring her emotional climate, it wasn't the only thing there but it was the most prominent. He found it interesting that she addressed him formally only when she was feeling uncomfortable, as though she hoped it might place some distance between them.

"M' 'pologises, chere" he said softly, smiling reassuringly. "Didn't mean t' make yo' uncomfortable."

She looked puzzled for a moment, "That's alright" she sighed, frustration clouding her emotions. "Ain't yoar fault, yah can be intimidating."

"Who, me?"

Marie laughed at the expression on his face, "Yeh, you" she teased, scrunching up her nose. "Don't pretend yah ain't aware o' how God damn attractive yah are."

"Yo' find me attractive, chere?" he couldn't help grinning away like the Cheshire Cat. He felt like a fifteen year old boy who'd just been told the girl they'd been fantasising about for months felt the same way.

Marie rolled her eyes, "Is there a woman who don't?"

"Yo' been knockin' m' back so much" he shrugged, "Figured yo' ain't noticed."

She sighed again, it was a low mournful sound that filled her eyes with sadness. "Had tah make things clear Remy" she told him, "Ah ain't never gonna sleep with yah."

Remy pretended to look shocked, "Was jus' t'inkin' o' askin' yo' out on a date, Rogue" he admonished, "What sorta gentleman d'ya t'ink I am?"

Marie smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Yah asked all tha other waitresses out foar a date?" she asked, "'Cos yoar Southern Gentlemanliness ain't what Charlotte was braggin' about."

He thought he could probably listen to the way she drawled over her vowels for the rest of his life and still die a happy man. He couldn't stand girls who squeaked or talked so fast their sentences mashed together. Marie took her time over what she was saying, slow and smooth, like everything else in the South.

He stopped on the middle of the dance floor still holding her in his arms until she looked up at him strangely.

"Let's get outta here" he suggested.

She rolled her eyes, "Ain't Ah jus' made mahself pretty clear?" she demanded.

Remy grinned. He couldn't help it, she was rather adorable when she was angry. "Jus' f'r some coffee an' a chat, chere" he promised, holding up his hands innocently. "I'll show yo' how gentlemanly dis Cajun can be."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Why?"

"Mon Deiu!" he cried, gathering her back up into his arms and pulling her off the dance floor. She stiffened at the initial contact but followed. "It so hard t' believe I want t' get t' know yo'?"

"Everyone ain't so self assured as yah, Mista LeBeau" she said quietly.

He turned, shocked to see her eyes downcast and her arms wrapped tightly around her body. The cascade of emotions coming from her was difficult to explain. He felt anger, hurt and self loathing all mixed in with fear and anticipation.

What had happened to this girl?

He reached out to place his hand under her chin only to have her flinch away.

He held up both hands in front of him. "Woah dere pet't" he said softly, "Ain't gonna hurt yo'."

She looked up at him then, her green eyes big and glassy.

"Dere dose gorgeous green eyes o' yo'rs" he teased, taking another step towards her slowly so not to frighten her again. "C'mon chere" he reached out his hand, "Ain't many femmes get de drop on Remy LeBeau."

It was a backhanded sort of compliment but it worked. She smiled shyly but took his hand, "Ah cain't leave Kitty" she said apologetically.

"'S not a problem, pet't" he told her, pulling on her hand. He intertwined his fingers with hers and marvelled at the warmth of her hand even through the gloves she wore.

He led her over to where Kitty and Emil were stood chatting amicably at the bar. His cousin seemed to be trying his full powers of seduction on Kitty, but the perky brunette was either completely oblivious or just plain not interested.

Ah, seemed they were all just out of luck when it came to the ladies. At least he wasn't the only one.

"Hey Em" Remy called, "Me an' Marie are gonna take a walk."

Emil simply nodded but Kitty raised her eyebrows, "To where?" she asked suspiciously.

"Jus' tah grab some coffee" Marie cut in, "Ya'll are welcome tah join us."

Ah, Marie. This woman just seemed to be intent on raining on his parade.

"That's okay" Kitty said perkily, smiling as she took a sip of her shockingly pink drink. "We're having fun here."

"Sho' yo' two go ahead" Emil grinned, looping his arm around Kitty's shoulders. "Go enjoy yo'selves."

Marie looked a little apprehensive, but she allowed Remy to take a hold of her hand and pull her back across the dance floor and out of the club. She glanced back one final time before they left, and Remy couldn't help but smile.

"Emil will take good care o' yo'r friend, chere" he told her, as he pulled on her hand to cross the road. "Yo' done got nothin' tah worry 'bout."

"Forget that, where the hell yah takin' meh, Cajun?" Rogue demanded, as he tugged on her hand and pulled her up the street.

"Somewhere secret" he said, turning to raise his eyebrows in her direction.

She was trying to look as though she disapproved but the dimple of her cheeks and the twinkle in her eye told him otherwise.

"Ah'm startin' tah think Ah shoulda told Kitteh where we were goin.'"

"Don't be silly, chere" he laughed, "Yo' ain't really friends 'till yo've ditched 'em for a date."

"This ain't a date!" she cried out.

He tugged on her hand and spun her around until the two were facing each other.

He took hold of her other hand and he had a sneaking suspicion that she might have slapped him, if she hadn't been so shocked by the sudden movement.

He pressed his advantage, "Yo' sho' are cute when yo' angry, chere."

Just as he expected, she flushed red.

Remy had never been one to pass up an opportunity when it presented itself. The flush I her cheeks, the way she averted her eyes and the flavour of her emotions were all telling him one thing.

As much as she might try to deny it, she was attracted to him.

He reached out to take a lock of her hair, but just the movement of his hand had her flinching away from him and complete terror over riding every emotion.

His hand paused in mid air, inches from her face. "Chere, I-"

She cleared her throat awkwardly, "Mista LeBeau, Ah don't think this is a real good ideah."

"Marie, please-"

"Ah've had a lot tah drink" she continued, her eyes cast down at the sidewalk as she took a step back. "Ah should be gettin' back."

He wanted to press the issue, they had been fine five minutes ago when they were flirting and joking with each other. But the uncomfortable look on her face and her mixed up emotions told him more than she could have put into words. Something had happened to this girl, and the more she put a distance between them, the more he wanted to find out what it was.

"Let me walk yo' home, chere" he said, suddenly feeling extremely wrong footed.

"It's real far-"

"I'll find yo' a cab then" he interrupted, "Please, it wouldn't be real gentlemanly o' m' t' let yo' walk home alone."

He must have looked extremely desperate because she nodded and allowed him to fall in step beside her again.

As they walked down the street together, he couldn't help but wonder how he continued to read this girl so wrongly.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: If I did own Marvel I'd have my very own Remy LeBeau by now._

 **Chapter Seven**

Rogue felt mortified from the moment her eyes opened the next morning.

Just thinking about what had happened the previous night had her groaning into a pillow. She wished she could just bury herself under the duvet and not come out for several months.

She had known from the moment she left the club with Remy last night that just walking out of the door was a bad idea.

He'd been so touchy and he'd flirted with her so openly that she should have known that more alcohol and alone time wouldn't lead anywhere good. But she'd had a bit to drink herself, and she'd been thinking about him more than she should have for someone who was supposed to be nothing more than just a mission.

Then he'd popped up as if he'd walked straight out of her head, all wind swept and dressed in black.

Just looked at him had her heart palpitating.

For one night she'd put aside all thoughts of her mission.

Kitty had spent the best part of two hours convincing Scott to let them go out and experience the Louisiana life style.

After all that effort, Rogue thought it would be rude not to have a drink and let her hair down. She was away from the mansion, she didn't have to think about Bobby with his hands all over someone who wasn't her and she could be anyone she wanted to be just for one night.

Maybe she'd even let herself think about Remy in a way that she really shouldn't have, considering their situation and her mutation.

She groaned out loud and buried herself even deeper into the comforter.

"Do you have an awful hangover or is Remy just a terrible kisser?" A muffled voice came from the other side of the room.

Rogue flipped the comforter off her head and glared up at Kitty. Her so called best friend was stood in the doorway looked extremely fresh faced and holding two take away coffee mugs.

"Ah never kissed him!" Rogue said, narrowing her eyes.

Kitty rolled her eyes in return, "So you ditched me with his lech of a cousin for no reason?"

Rogue sat up far too fast for so early in the morning and the walls teetered slightly. She took a deep breath and shoved a couple of pillows behind her shoulders, "Did he do somethin'?" She demanded.

Kitty snorted, "No of course not" she took a step into Rogue's room and closed the door with her elbow. "He just isn't quite as smooth as your Remy."

"He ain't mine!" Rogue huffed defensively.

"Whatever" Kitty shrugged, stepping into the room and passing Rogue the polystyrene take away mug. "I take it you're still here because you're hiding from our fearless leader."

Rogue winced as she accepted the drink and scooted further up the bed, "Is he really angry?"

Kitty shrugged her shoulders as she perched herself on the end of the bed and took a deep swig of her drink. "He went for a jog just before I nipped across the road for these" Kitty raised the cup and grinned, "He wasn't exactly in a chatty mood."

Rogue groaned and took a sip of her drink, the sweet combination of chocolate and coffee slid down her throat but did little to calm her nerves. "He's sure gone be real mad."

"Oh relax, a full day with Logan is sure to calm him right down" Kitty teased.

"Shall we lock 'em in the kitchen 'till they fight it out?" Rogue asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, no" Kitty hesitated before jumping up off the bed and somehow managing not to spill a drop of her coffee. "But if we left now then we could be gone for the entire day and they'd never know."

Rogue placed her coffee on the bedside table and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "Ain't Logan around?" She asked slowly.

"He went out for his newspaper about five minutes ago."

Rogue threw the comforter off herself and dived out of the bed.

"Why didn't yah say so, gal!?" She demanded, throwing open a drawer and rifling through her clothes. "Give me a sec to throw somethin' on."

Two minutes later she had pulled on a pair of jeans and tied up her hair in a bun. Then they were both out of the door without a second glance.

Rogue should have known from the moment that Kitty asked her to leave the comfort of her bedroom that the sneaky little phaser would have an ulterior motive.

But she was too busy trying to fix her hair using her reflection in the passing windows and listening to Kitty rabbit on about something unimportant. By the time she actually noticed where they were going, it was too late to turn back.

"Shoulda known Ah'd end up in tha Mall" Rogue rolled her eyes as Kitty dragged her over to one of the shops displaying shockingly pink dresses and a lot of glitter.

"Oh don't be grumpy" Kitty teased, "Maybe you could find something to wear for Remy."

"Don't be daft, gal" Rogue shook her head as they entered the first store and she began to mentally prepare for a long day of pretending to be interested in shoes.

"He likes you" Kitty grinned, sliding a pair of sunglasses over her nose and checking her reflection in the mirror.

"He's tha mission, ain't cha forgot?"

"So?" Kitty pulled the sunglasses off her face so Rogue could see her eye roll. "Mission or not, he's a dish."

"Well Ah ain't eatin' from that menu" Rogue said firmly, fingering a strapless top and wishing she could even consider wearing something like that.

"Come on, Rogue" Kitty said softly, "You deserve to have a good time."

"Well he don't deserve me" Rogue turned away from her friend, "Did yah want tah look at thah shoes?"

"Don't change the subject" Kitty chastised, "Any man would be lucky to have you."

"Ain't no man gonna stay celibate their entire life, Kit" Rogue huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and willing her voice not to break. She'd been so strong after her break up with Bobby and she refused to crack now. "Least of all Remy."

"He's not like that" Kitty insisted.

"Of course he is" Rogue snorted, "He's always tryin' tah touch meh."

"Yeah" Kitty rolled her eyes and fingered a mesh top, "Because he likes you, Rogue."

"Yah have no idea what ya'll are even sayin'!" She bit out, causing Kitty to stare at her wide eyed and several people in close radius to jump in shock. "Yah don't know what it's like tah be with a gal like me!"

She didn't know what made her say it, or even why it had come out so sharply. She was just sick of people assuming they knew something about her life because they'd been friends for a couple of years.

It was easy for Kitty to point her in the direction of pretty clothes and tell her that she could have a normal relationship if she just tried.

But she had tried, really hard.

She had honestly thought that her and Bobby has got there, that they had reached a point in their relationship where touching just didn't matter anymore. Of course she had been kidding herself, the touching always mattered.

Rogue knew she would have to tell Remy about her mutation soon, and the moment she did he would put so much space between them. She felt more than a little bit guilty for enjoying his attention but she didn't want it to stop.

The truth was, people could try to put themselves in her situation, but they would never truly understand what she was going through.

"Rogue, I'm sorry I never meant-"

Kitty was broken off by a catchy pop jingle that suddenly sounded from Rogue's purse. She sighed and pulled it out of her bag, already expecting the caller ID before she even saw it.

"Hello Scott" she said guardedly as she placed the phone to her ear and caught the terrified expression on Kitty's face.

"No need to sound so prim" Scott's voice came down the phone, sounding a lot calmer than Rogue expected. "I'm calling in peace."

"Ah know a trap when Ah see one" Rogue said, not trusting his good mood.

"Relax" Scott said exasperatedly, suddenly sounding a lot more like his old self. "While you two were playing hooky, me and Logan came up with a plan."

"What is it?" She asked.

"Come back now and we'll talk about it" that was the last thing he said before he hung up the phone.

Rogue sighed and shoved her phone back into her purse, "Come on gal, fun's over" she said, before turning and marching out of the door.


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I only own Remy LeBeau in my head._

 **Chapter Eight**

Remy sat in his office, brooding.

It didn't seem to matter what he did or where he was or who he was with, there seemed to be one thing constantly occupying his mind.

Marie.

He liked to think he could read people fairly well, not just because he was an empath. It came handy in his line of work, to be two steps ahead of everyone and to practically know what people were thinking.

It helped in the dating world too. He'd always been able to charm the birds out of the trees.

But this girl, he just couldn't figure her out.

He almost felt like a bumbling teenager, not knowing what to say or how to act around her. It was certainly a novelty, even as a teenager, he's never bumbled.

Plus the way she was acting around him just didn't help matters.

Whenever they were together her emotions practically called to him with a mix of desire, nerves and attraction. It was a potent mixture that practically brought him to his knees. But her actions were the complete opposite, she pushed him away and pretended she couldn't feel all the things that he knew full well, she could.

It was confusing.

He had spotted her entering the club to start her shift a couple of hours ago, but hadn't mustered the courage to leave his hiding place just yet.

After she had rejected him, he just couldn't bring himself to face her. His pride was wounded, and he was beginning to wonder if he should just listen to what she was saying and stay away from her.

He glanced up at the club's CCTV monitors to see what she was up to, because he just couldn't seem to help himself.

She was placing a bottle of beer at one of the tables for a man sitting alone. He was wearing a half buttoned up plaid shirt that made Remy wonder why the bouncers had even let him in tonight.

Roxy's was a classy establishment.

The man said something to Marie and she laughed politely, turning to move away and serve someone else.

Remy was about to turn his gaze away from her when the man seated at the table reached out and laced him arm around her waist, pulling her up against him.

Just the look on Marie's face had Remy out of his seat and lunging towards the door without a second thought. The rational part of his mind told him that he should leave it to security to deal with, but he had suddenly stopped listening to the rational part of his mind.

Sure enough, when he reached their table they were still alone. The man had a death grip on Marie's waist and seemed to be slurring his words.

"Come on, baby" he was saying, "Just one drink."

"Ah'm real flattered, Mistah" she said, wriggling in an attempt to free herself. "But Ah got tah get back tah work."

"Forget work, let's have some fun" his gruff voice grated on Remy's ears and irritated him further.

"De lady said non" he said firmly, stopping beside their table and crossing his arms over his chest. "Yo' need some help wit' yo' hearin', homme?"

"Mind yer own business, bub" the man growled, not even taking his eyes from Marie.

"Yo' okay, chere?" He asked Marie softly.

She nodded but before she could answer her new companion stood and turned to Remy, "She's with me, Gumbo" he said aggressively, taking two fists of Remy's shirt and pulling him against his chest. "So back off."

Remy smiled and showed two rows of pearly teeth, "Yo' don't seem t' understand de situation, mon ami" he said calmly. He moved a playing card from his pocket and held it up in front of the strangers face, he then deliberately lit it up so the card was crackling with untapped potential energy. "So how 'bout yo' go wit' dese nice gentlemen" he suggested, nodding towards the two security figures that had appeared behind them. "Or we go kaboom."

The stranger seemed to weigh up his options, because turning to glance at Marie.

He muttered, "Not even worth it" for which Remy would have liked to lay him on his back. But his grip on Remy's shirt loosened, and he turned to his escorts who ensured he left the building.

"Wendy" he called to one of the waitresses who had been stood frozen, watching the ordeal. "Could you take Marie to my office, please?"

Marie was still stood where the man had released her, and appeared to be in shock, but she didn't object when Wendy softly took hold of her forearm and steered her in the direction of the office.

He moved around the bar, gesturing for the bar keep to join him as he reached and pulled a glass tumbler out of the wrack.

"Jack, make sho' we got pictures of dat guy" he spoke quickly and with purpose as he filled the glass with ice. "He ain't t' set foot in here again, hein?"

"Sure thing boss" Jack nodded, before turning on his heel and heading up the stairs.

Remy poured three fingers of Bourbon over the ice before heading back to his office.

Wendy was just closing the door as he arrived, "Yo' gone be okay handling t'ings f'r tonight?" He asked.

"Of course" she agreed easily, "Marie seems really shaken."

"T'anks Wendy" he said as a way of farewell, because reaching for the doorknob and entering his office.

Marie was stood in the centre of the room as though she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself, she had wrapped her arms around herself and was staring off into space.

"Yo' doin' okay, chere?" he asked, passing her a large glass of bourbon and reaching out his hand to soothe her. She jumped away at the initial contact and stepped back so she was in the corner and she could see the entire room.

The experience seemed to have shaken her up a little and her green eyes were wide.

Remy held both hands up in front of him so she could see what he was doing, "I ain't him, chere" he said softly, "I won't hurt yo'."

"Ain't yah Ah'm worried about" she said sighing. She took a deep gulp from her drink before she sank onto her knees and sat on the floor.

As this happened Remy was knocked sideways by the total aguish that overloaded any other emotion she was feeling. If he hadn't been distracted by that he might have been confused by her odd statement. "Ah don't wanna hurt no one, Remy" she said softly.

Remy's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and he took a step towards her, slowly sitting down beside her and taking extra care not to touch her again. "How could yo' ever do dat?" he asked.

Rogue took another gulp from her drink, "Ah never told yah the whole truth about me, Cajun" she said slowly.

Remy sighed, "Rogue, we all got secrets."

She looked up at him with those green as Emerald eyes, "Ah'm a mutant."

He couldn't help but laugh, "Ain't gonna judge yo' dere, pet't" he said, gesturing to his strange coloured eyes.

Though he didn't pry it did make him curious about her mutation and what it was. Of course those sorts of things were generally kept close to the chest, especially with things being as they were in the world. He didn't exactly blame her for hiding it, maybe he would too if he had a choice.

"Ah didn't wanna tell yah" she said, her voice close to breaking. "But it ain't fair tah hide it, yah gotta know."

"Yo' scarin' m' chere."

"Ya'll should be scared, Remy" she said, looking up at him again. "Mah mutation is in mah skin, Ah can't touch folk without drainin their energy away." She looked down at the ground as though she was ashamed. "Ah cain't control it."

Another wave of emotion hit him but he couldn't be sure if it was hers or his.

Oh his poor, sweet Marie. This explained so much. She couldn't touch anyone. It explained why she was so defensive and why she pushed him away all the time. It explained why she wore gloves and three layers of clothing even though it was 100 degrees outside. She had wanted to believe he really liked her, and now he knew she was afraid he would leave her.

Well he couldn't have that.

"So yo' can't touch skin to skin, hein?"

She shook her head but didn't look up.

"Plenty t' be done above clothes."

Her head snapped up to see him grinning away at her as though she'd told him nothing more serious than she couldn't do her shift tomorrow night. She narrowed her eyes.

"Only yah could make a joke outta this."

Remy shook his head, "Oh I ain't kiddin' chere."

"Ya'll gotta death wish?" she all but screeched at him, "Tha first boy ah ever kissed ended up on a coma foar three weeks."

"Oh chere" he took a sharp intake of breath, "Musta been one helluva kiss."

Her entire face flushed the most delicious shade of pink and he couldn't help but grin. He loved her reactions, it made the most innocent of statements almost seen indecent when she sat there blushing away like a school girl. It made him want to push things even further.

"Sure like t' try dis coma inducin' kiss" he said, sliding a little closer to her and raising her eyebrows. "How 'bout yo' lay one on a dis here Cajun?"

She backed further into the corner, her eyes wide with the expression of a spooked colt. "Ya'll have got yah be kiddin' meh."

"Never joke about kisses, chere" he practically purred, using the hypnotic charm of his eyes and the soothing rhythm of his voice to draw her in. There was a mess of emotions surrounding her, he couldn't quite make them all out, but he knew one thing for certain - fear wasn't one of them. "N't t' toot m' own horn, but m' kisses are pretty knock out too."

That did it, Rogue took one look at him before bursting into a hysterical fit of giggles. "Yah sho' are somethin' else, Cajun" she told her, between snorts of laughter.

"Got yo' smiling though" he said softly.

There eyes met again and something electric passed between them. He was sure that, had she not been so paralysed by the idea, she would have let him kiss her.

She cleared her throat loudly, "Ah should really be goin'." She muttered, standing up shakily and gripping onto the now empty whiskey glass.

"Yo' know yo' don't got to, Chere" Remy said quietly, standing up and softly extracting the empty tumbler from her hand. He placed it on his desk.

"Yah right" she agreed, nodding slowly. "Ah should be helping the others clean up."

He blocked her way as she moved towards the exit, "Not a chance, chere."

"Mr LeBeau-"

Remy sighed and reached for a lock of white hair that had fallen from the bun on top of her head. She froze at the movement, but dragged in a huge breath when she realised what he was doing.

"Ain't we passed dat now, chere?" He asked her quietly.

"Remy-" she tried again.

"Rogue" he said in a mockingly stern tone, "Yo' can't be walkin' home alone, yo' jus' had a shock."

"Ah'll give Kitty a call" she said, waving her hand easily.

He considering her for one long moment before sighing. It didn't seem as though he was going to get her to change her mind, so he gave in with poor grace.

"Fine" he huffed, "But before yo' leave, yo' should know dat we got a big client comin' in tomorrow."

"Ah'll be on mah best behaviour" she promised, a smile circling her lips.

"It's Senator Kelly" he said firmly.

She froze slightly and her eyes widened, "Yah can't be serious" she shook her head, she was looking at him as though she'd never seen him before. "Ya'll are doin' business with tha most powerful mutant hater around?"

"M' father does business with him" Remy corrected bitterly, his eyes glinting. "Ain't got much choice where de family is concerned."

She must have noticed the hurt in his voice because she dropped her indignant tone immediately, "O' course" she nodded, "Ah'll behave myself."

He reached out to take hold of a lock of her hair again, "T'ink I might prefer it if you don't."

Marie smiled, "Takin' that as my queue to leave" she said, cocking her head and considering him with sparkling green eyes. "Good night, Remy."

"Goodnight, Rogue."


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Marvel, the thought makes me sad every day._

 **Chapter Nine**

The four of them sat together in a diner two streets over from Roxy's, Rogue was already dressed in her uniform and ready for her shift later that evening.

She had slept in late, and as Logan had been out doing a recon of Remy's humble abode, they hadn't all had the chance to meet and discuss the plan before now.

So she eagerly shovelled pancakes into her mouth in an attempt to quieten her nerves as she listened to Logan talk about the infamous Mansion of Thieves.

"If their computer security is anything like that at the house, ain't no wonder you can't get in" he was saying to Kitty.

Scott's ingenious idea of having Logan turn up at the bar and act drunk and inappropriately the night before had been a stoke of genius that Rogue would never have expected from him.

The encounter had provided an ice breaker to get Remy to start talking to her again, because no man seemed able to resist a damsel in distress.

Plus, the bonus was that Logan had been able to get up close and personal with Remy. Once he had familiarised himself with his scent, he had been able to lock onto it and find the Thieves Guild Mansion. The location of which, up until now, had been extremely secret.

"Is there no way we could get in?" Scott asked, pressing a finger into his temple in frustration.

"Not unless you want to blow this undercover operation" Logan said easily, leaning back in his chair and taking a chug of his coffee.

If Scott was overly wound up, then Logan was far too laid back. They were completely opposite, and it often made Rogue wonder if they were a good combination for this mission.

She chose not to say anything however, and continued eating her pancakes in silence.

"Are you two forgetting something?" Kitty chirped in, "I can walk through walls."

"Unless you plan on walking through all the bodies once you're in kid, there's no point" Logan smirked.

"Ain't never seen a mutation lahke Remy's before either" Rogue put in, finally looking up from her food to join in on the conversation. "Sho' that would have been real interestin'."

"More interesting if that bomb had gone off" Logan agreed.

Kitty was looking at her strangely, "I swear you're sounding more southern by the day."

Scott was not to be deterred however and continued as though there had been no interruption, "So it's up to Rogue then" he said, turning his attention back to Rogue who had hoped she might at least be able to eat the last of her pancakes in peace.

"Ain't that a surprise" she said, rolling her eyes.

"I take it you told him about your mutation last night?" Scott pressed.

Rogue sighed and placed her knife and fork down, "Sho' Ah told him, an' lahke Logan said, it didn't put him off."

"It might make him vary though" Scott continued.

"I doubt it, Scott" Kitty said, grinning as she took a sip of her strawberry milkshake. "You haven't seen the way he looks at her."

"Shove it, Kitty" Rogue growled.

"That doesn't change the situation, so what are we going to do?" Scott continued on, as he always did when arguments broke out in the middle of his monologue.

"Well, ya'll ain't gonna do anything" Rogue said firmly.

Scott opened his mouth again but it was Logan who spoke first this time, "You got a plan, kid?"

"Sho' do" Rogue smiled shrewdly, "Ah'm gonna turn up tha heat."

"Something's gonna catch fire" Kitty laughed.

"How are you going to achieve that?" Scott wanted to know.

Rogue rolled her eyes and stood, "Ah ain't tellin' yah" she said sternly, straightening her hair. "Ah better get goin'."

She turned and left them without looking back.

She didn't even want to think about what she was about to do tonight, let alone discuss it, especially with Scott. Their fearless leader was nothing if not prim and proper, just the thought of telling him how she planned to get close to Remy had her toes curling.

She had decided what to do before she'd even opened her eyes that morning.

Remy might like the thrill of the chase, but thar wouldn't satisfy him forever. Now that he'd found out about her mutation, and had almost an entire day to digest the information, it was highly likely he might have changed his mind over all the things he'd said last night.

She couldn't have that.

Plus, if it had been Bobby that had said all the things to her that Remy had the night before, she probably would have given him anything he wanted.

So with that in mind, she'd banged on Kitty's door to borrow a pair of fabulous heels and a tube of red lipstick.

She had even allowed Kitty to style her hair, and between the bounce in her curls and the sound of her heels against the pavement, she felt fabulous.

So as she stepped into the bar she held her head high and swallowed the last of her nerves.

There were already people milling around, and she spotted the bar keep Jack giving her the eye.

Charlotte was stood against the bar, and looked like she'd swallowed a lemon.

Rogue bit her cheek to swallow a laugh as she looked for Remy.

She spotted him sat at one of the far, darkened tables. He was sat with his brother, who Rogue had seen around the bar several times before. The other man at the table was sat with his back to her, but she could tell from his profile who it was.

Senator Kelly.

Rogue took a shaky breath as she turned back to the bar.

Jack had moved over to her, "Hey Marie" he smiled, cleaning a glass. "You doin' okay after last night?"

Jack was sweet, he had a cute face and lovely brown eyes. But even without her mutation and Remy in the mix, he wasn't her type at all.

"Ah'm fahne sugah, thanks foar askin'."

"You sure look lovely tonight."

Rogue was sure she blushed delicately, but before she could answer a voice came from behind her.

"She looks stunnin'."

Rogue turned to see Remy looking at her, his red eyes were practically glowing and she couldn't help but smile.

"Good evenin' Mista LeBeau" she said, smiling sweetly.

"Bon Soir, ma Cherie" he practically crooned, reaching over to stroke the top of her gloves. "Red suits you."

She knew he was talking about the red that stained her lips, but his eyes flared in a way that made her wonder if he was talking about something else.

"How is yoar evenin' goin'?" She asked, gesturing towards the table where the Senator and his brother still seated together.

"Came over t' ask if you'd be our waitress" he winced even as he asked the question, as though he sensed he was being insensitive. "De Senator-" he started, before clearing his throat, "Forget it, I'll ask Wendy."

Rogue wasn't sure if he was reacting to the look on her face or her obvious silence, but she cut him off before he could walk away.

"Ah don't mahde" she said easily, "What can Ah get cha?"

"Three Bourbons" he winked at her, before turning back and walking over to the table.

She turned and smoothed her clothes as Jack prepared the drinks and took a deep, calming breath.

Tonight she had to up her game, to a level she had never really managed to reach before. Of course she and Bobby had been intimate plenty of times, but she'd never deliberately tried to seduce him. She hadn't needed to, the forbidden contact mixed with teenage hormones had always provided enough of an aphrodisiac.

Now she had to try and seduce the biggest ladies man she had ever met.

Just the thought had the tray of drinks shaking in her hand as she made her way over to their table.

"Got yah drinks, gentlemen" Rogue grinned as she arrived at their table. She tried not to be distracted by Remy, who was looking at her like she was a juicy steak and he hadn't eaten in months.

She moved around the table, holding her tray aloft as she set each drink in front of it's respective person. As she moved to place a glass of Bourbon on ice in front of Remy, she moved so the back of her thighs brushed against his legs.

Just as she knew he was looking, she bent at the waist and placed his drink on the table.

She did not anticipate his next move however, and practically jumped out of her skin when she felt his warm fingers on the back of her legs.

It felt wonderful, the way his fingertips whispered just below the hem of her skirt. His hands were warm, and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from moaning as his fingers explored her almost bare skin.

She pulled herself together and turned to glare at him, but the warm glow of his red eyes told her he knew exactly what he was doing.

Stupid Cajun.

"Ya'll let meh know if there's anything yah need" she addressed the table this time, and smiled sweetly at the other two men.

"Rogue" Remy's voice wrapped around her like silk, and she was sure she flushed red as he called her by her mutant name. "Could yo' be a doll an' clear dat table?" He pointed lazily at the table across from theirs, the one that happened to be in his direct eye line.

"Not a problem, Mista LeBeau."

She turned and sashayed over the table, feeling three pairs of eyes on her as she did. As she bent at the waist to spray the table clean she heard the Senator speak.

"I'll need to speak to your father about where he finds his waitresses" he said, and she could practically feel him leering.

"He sho' got taste, s'true."

"He told me you're the best there is, Remy."

"Can be f'r a price, mon ami."

"You'll be paid once the job is done" the Senator said smartly.

Remy paused before he answered, "What is de job, exactly?"

She could feel his eyes on her back as she cleaned the table, and knew she couldn't linger any longer without arousing suspicion. As she picked up the empty glasses she turned back to look at him, and she had been right. Their eyes locked and she threw him a wink before moving back over to the bar.

It actually seemed to shock him.

Rogue bit back a laugh as she turned and continued with her shift. She bussed tables, cleared glasses and flirted innocently with customers. She ensured the glasses at the far table were always full, and made eyes with Remy whenever she caught him staring. Which was often. He seemed to have noticed that something had shifted between them, and it was almost though he was puzzling over what it might be.

As the night drew to a close, the Senator left and Rogue began to regret her decision to wear heels.

Her legs certainly looked good, but her feet were throbbing. She leaned up against the bar and groaned, stretching her back.

"Marie, come in here a moment" Remy called from the doorway of his office, then disappeared back into the room before she could object.

She sighed and dumped the rag she had been using to clean the tables, secretly hoping this meeting wouldn't take long.

Partly because her legs were aching and she wanted to go home, but mostly because she hadn't stopped thinking about his hands on her all night.

She couldn't honestly say if he tried to touch her again, that she would stop him.

"Yah need somethin' Remy?" She asked, shoving her hip in the doorway and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Come in an' close the door."

He was sat behind his desk, considering her over the top of his interlocked fingers. She took a deep breath as she stepped into the office and turned to close the door behind her. As long as he stayed on his side of the office, she could get through this without thinking about feeling his fingers against her skin.

"Yoar meetin' seemed tah go well" she attempted to make conversation.

"Ain't why I called yo' in here, chere" he said quietly.

Rogue sighed, "So how can Ah help, Remy?" She wanted to know.

He stood up suddenly, moving around to the other side of the desk. "Yo' seem different somehow, chere."

"Do Ah?" She said easily, slipping out of her shoes because she just couldn't stand in them anymore. A moan slipped from between her lips, and Remy's eyes glowed.

"I like yo' in red" he breathed.

"Yah think all this is for yoar sake?" She teased.

"Well ain't it?"

"Don't spend all mah tahme thinkin' 'bout yah, Swamp Rat" she bit back.

He took a step closer to her, "Yo' sho'?"

"Yah think yah know women, don't cha Cajun?"

"I know some t'ings" he stepped even closer, so their hips almost touched.

He was too close now, and she had certainly lost the advantage she'd held for the majority of the evening. "Lahke what?" She asked, her voice hoarse.

"Sho' know what arousal looks like, chere" he was murmuring in her ear.

He was all around her, his fingers running soothing circles over the tops of her thighs, his voice in her ear and his intoxicating scent practically enveloping her. She was fast losing her grip on reality, and she had no idea how to get it back. All she knew was the feel of Remus fingers against her skin, and that nothing had ever felt so good.

"Tell me t' stop, chere" he challenged.

"Ah-" Rogue started, but she could barely form thoughts, let alone entire sentences.

One of his hands moved to grip her waist, his thumb digging against her hip. He took a step closer and placed a kiss over her collarbone, dangerously close to the bare skin of her neck. The feel of his breath against her skin incited a moan from somewhere deep inside her.

Under normal circumstances she would have been embarrassed to make such a noise, but right now she could barely even think straight.

Remy laughed, "T'ink yo' like dis one more dan yo' say, non?"

"Remy, yah need tah stop" her voice sounded breathy even to her own ears.

He leaned back to look into her eyes, the red was practically glowing and she had to take another shaky breath.

"But we jus' gettin' t' de fun part" he said, his voice lilted and his eyes burned red.

Rogue flashed hot then cold all at once.

She wondered if this was what intimacy was supposed to feel like, and wished more than anything that she could experience it for herself, just once.

She sighed as that thought dampened her mood, "Ah don't want tah hurt you."

Remy must have caught on to her change in mood because he took a step back, "Ain't touched yo' anywhere but yo' clothes."

Rogue hesitated, "Well, no-"

"Still got yo' heart racing though" he grinned at her, looking extremely pleased with himself.

She had to giggle in spite of herself, if only at the expression on his face. "Ya'll sure are somethin', Remy LeBeau."

"Yo' gonna let me take yo' out now?"

She hesitated, flirting between the two of them seemed fairly harmless but a date was another thing. "Ah ain't sure..."

"Come on Rogue, let me take yo' to Cafe Du Monde for beignets." He wheedled, placing both of his hands on her waist. "If it ain't de best date yo' ever had, won't never bother yo' again."

Rogue laughed, he looked so innocent with his big red eyes and floppy hair "Well alright" she agreed.

The smile on his face was like sunrise breaking on the horizon, "Yo' make me de happiest Cajun in de entire o' N'Awlins."

"Sho' that ain't true."

He reached out to take a lock of her hair between his fingers, "Got a job t' do tomorrow, how bout de next night?"

"Didn't see yah on tha rota" she said, frowning.

"It's family ting" he said sheepishly, "not t' do wit de club."

"The next night sounds perfect" she smiled.

"I'll meet yo' there at six" He said, before sliding his hands around her waist again, "Do I get a goodnight kiss?"

Rogue shook her head, "'Fraid not, Cajun."

"Yo' lips jus' beggin' tah be kissed, ma Cherie."

Rogue sighed, "Ain't that the problem."

"Can't put me off forever."

"Ah worry 'bout yah, Swamp Rat" she said, rolling her eyes before she made her escape.


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: Nothing here is owned by me._

 **Chapter Ten**

Remy had decided he wasn't going to the bar tonight.

He had other things to worry about, and he wasn't sure he could bring himself to face Marie.

It was beginning to scare him, how much he thought about her. She plagued his thoughts, especially last night when she's turned up all curly hair and red lips just begging to be kissed.

He had also begun to wonder if she could give him something he hadn't wanted for a long time. Maybe something he had never really wanted, not even with Belle.

When he was eighteen he had claimed to love her, but obviously he hadn't known the meaning of the word. His so called love hadn't stopped him from hopping into bed with any woman that gave him the option, and there had been plenty of them.

Belladonna never haunted his dreams, and as loved up as he had been when he was with her, she rarely crossed his mind when they were apart.

Even now, when he looked at his wife, he felt nothing but an old stir of affection.

It was different with Marie.

Even if he ever could bring himself to stop thinking about her, it was as though a mist had clouded his vision.

Suddenly other women held literally no interest to him. Just last night he had found himself stood talking with Charlotte, and if the way she squeezed his arm didn't tell him what she wanted, then the suggestive tone of her voice did.

He couldn't even pretend to be interested, his mind continued to drift back to Marie and he found himself wishing he was talking to her.

He wanted to be good enough for her.

Which was the reason he was currently brooding on the roof of the Mansion, rather than down at the bar where he should be.

The Senator had sent over the details of the job he wanted Remy to carry out earlier that morning, and just thinking about it made him sick. He knew he wouldn't be able to look Marie in the face again if he went through with it.

Whatever this object was that Kelly wanted him to steal, it wouldn't be good news for mutants.

He was practically betraying his own race.

Or that would be how Marie would see it, if she ever found out. She hadn't been able to hide her shock when he'd told her the Senator would be stopping by, and he could tell she didn't approve.

For Remy, or rather, for Jean-Luc, it was just another job. If Remy didn't do it he would be seen as a traitor to the Guild, not to mention the sheer amount of money they would lose because of him.

Remy mulled over this as he took a long drag of his cigarette. He had taken a look at the blue prints and security details the Senator had sent over that day. The job wouldn't be impossible, but it certainly wouldn't be easy.

Henri had told him that their father had volunteered him for the job because he was the best, as if he was supposed to take that as some sort of compliment.

Remy knew better.

Jean Luc was testing his loyalty, as he had been from the moment Remy had returned to Louisiana. He didn't trust that Remy would put the family first, if it came to it, and maybe he was right.

Remy tossed his cigarette butt off the roof and began to climb down.

If staying married to a woman he didn't love and taking part in jobs he didn't agree with were what it took to be a part of this family, then maybe he didn't want to be anymore.

Once upon a time he would have felt honoured to be named Patriarch of the Thieves Guild. Recently he had began to fell more and more that he was just being used, that nothing really mattered other than the skills he could offer to the Guild.

Maybe if he hadn't been exiled then he wouldn't feel this way, but he just couldn't seem to ignore the restless feeling that plagued his every thought. That maybe there was something more to life that this corrupt family, and maybe someone who would care about him for more than the dollar signs his skills carried.

He climbed back in through the first story window and went in search of his so called father.

He needed to talk to Jean Luc about this job, to persuade him that there would be someone better to do it.

If his track record at getting Jean Luc to change his mind was anything to go by then he wasn't likely to have much luck. But he had to try.

He took the stairs two at a time after he found Jean Luc's office was empty, hoping he would find the Patriarch sat relaxing somewhere. If he had gone out on a job, Remy would never find him before tonight.

He moved silently through the empty corridors, wondering where everyone had disappeared to, until he heard voices coming from the drawing room.

He paused in the entryway and listened to what sounded like a disagreement.

"How yo' know?" The raspy voice of Jean Luc was demanding. "Yo' ain't even tried."

"He asked f'r de papers, Jean Luc" the feminine voice of his wife, Belladonna Boudreaux replied. "Don't get much clearer."

"If yo' jus' spent some time together-"

Belladonna cut him off now, sounding angry. "I got a Guild t' run, an' people waitin' on me" she said angrily, "My Guild needs security, I don't have time t' be waitin' on Remy LeBeau an' his skirt chasin' ways."

"He will be Patriarch o' dis Guild" Jean Luc assured her.

Belladonna snorted.

"He will!"

"When yo' gonna face de truth, old man?"

Remy shoved his shoulder into the doorway and cleared his throat, effectively announcing his presence. "De woman know me well, non?" He winked at Belladonna, "Knew I married her f'r a reason."

Belladonna Boudreaux might pretend to be cold and unfeeling, but she had never been immune to Remy's charms. She looked breath taking, with her soft blonde hair pulled up into an impeccable bun and wearing a sharp white suit paired with absolute killer heels. Her eyes were ice blue as she glared at him, but she couldn't quite keep the pink out of her cheeks at his comment.

Belle had always been a little too wound up for his taste, she was never willing to let herself go.

Maybe that had something to do with being an Assassin.

"Bonjour, dear husband" she mocked coldly, "Yo' papa here is tryin' t' call off our annulment."

"Always stickin' his nose in where it ain't wanted" Remy said cheerfully, taking a step into the room.

"Yo' a disgrace t' dis family" Jean Luc spat.

Remy shrugged before turning his eyes to his soon to be ex-wife, "Yo' look as lovely as always, Belle" he said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.

"Merci" she said stiffly, not lingering over the kiss. "I brought over de papers, yo' jus' need t' sign dem."

He could hear the hurt in his voice as she said it and he felt a little guilty.

"Yo' didn't have t' bring dese over yo'self" he said, "But I real appreciate it, petit."

Belladonna moved to look at him straight in the eyes, "A part o' me was still hopin' yo' change yo' mind" she said quietly, "But yo' ain't de boy I loved, Remy LeBeau."

"If only I were, chere" he said softly.

Bella reached over to squeeze his arm, "Was nice t' see yo' Remy" she said quietly, "Send over de papers when yo' ready."

Remy placed his hand over the top of hers, "Yo' know I did love yo', Belle."

Belladonna smiled but did not offer him a reply, simply extracted her hand from beneath his and made her way towards the exit.

They could hear her heels clicking all the way down the marble lobby.

"If yo' had a brain between dose ears, yo'd go after her!" his father said, after a beat of silence.

"Don't t'ink dat organ got much t' do wit' it."

"Yo' infuriatin', Remy!" Jean Luc shouted, "When yo' gone grow up an' accept yo' responsibility?"

"Dis responsibility ain't mine" Remy said, in a deadly quiet voice. "It ain't in me t' lead."

"Yo' put yo' feelin's aside when it comes t' de family" Jean Luc was lecturing him now. "Ain't nothin' more important."

"Yo' t'ink I ain't?" Remy fired back, getting angry himself now. "Why else would I be doin' Senator Kelly's dirty work?"

"Yo' done get paid."

"Den keep yo' filthy money" Remy spat, "I don't want it, not f'r dat."

"Yo' are a member o' dis family."

"I'm a mutant!" Remy shouted, "Yo' done forgot dat?"

"Yo' a thief first, boy" Jean Luc said, with a note of finality in his voice.

"Mebe I don't wanna be, not dis time" Remy said quietly.

"Den how bout I make yo' a deal."

Remy looked up to see his father considering him with calculating eyes. He knew better than to make a deal with Jean Luc, the man was only out for himself.

But then, it it got him out of the situation he had landed himself in, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"What deal?"

"Yo' go t' Belladonna, give yo' marriage a chance" Jean-Luc listed his demands slowly. "Yo' agree t' b' de next Patriarch o' dis Guild, Remy. An' I give de job t' someone else."

"Dis job ain't worth dat much" Remy spat.

"Dose be my terms."

Remy was so angry he could barely keep his hands from shaking. He couldn't do it, no matter the price he might pay afterwards, he would not stay married to Belladonna and he would not be the future Patriarch of the Thieves Guild.

He would not give up his freedom, or even the slimmest chance of a future outside of this Mansion, no matter what the cost.

"Suppose I best prepare den" Remy said as quietly as he could, moving past his father without looking at him and exiting the room.

He swore to himself that this would be the last job he would ever do for Jean-Luc LeBeau.

A man who had no loyalty to him, did not deserve his loyalty in return.


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I wish Remy LeBeau was mine, unfortunately he isn't._

 **Chapter Eleven**

Rogue was extremely nervous.

Remy hadn't appeared at Roxy's all night, and to her that didn't bode well. She'd ducked out early, hoping that no one would notice, and practically ran all the way back to the flat they were using at a base.

"He weren't there!" she wheezed as she practically threw herself through the door.

Scott glanced at her oddly from where he was stood in the kitchen, cleaning his visor. He was already wearing his X-Men uniform. "Relax, Logan's already on his tail" he said, in a voice far too calm for Scott that did nothing to sooth Rogue's nerves. "He'll call me when he knows where they're headed, go and get dressed."

Rogue took that as a dismissal, and disappeared into her room. She found Kitty already sat on her bed and fully suited up.

"Were ya'll gonna leave without meh?" she demanded as she stripped out of her tight little uniform.

"Scott did consider it" Kitty admitted, pulling a face. "I think Logan would have torn his throat out."

"He don't trust meh around Remy" she said, pulling on her leather trousers.

She hadn't asked it as a question, but the silence that followed provided Rogue more of an answer than she needed.

"Does he think Ah've fallen foar the Cajun's charms?" she wanted to know, pausing in the act of getting dressed.

"Haven't you?"

Rogue considered this as she wriggled into her shirt.

She couldn't lie and pretend she hadn't been thinking of Remy a great deal more than she should have done, considering the situation. Or that she didn't get butterflies thinking about the possibility of a date with him.

She had underestimated the effect the presence of a man would have on her, especially after her break up with Bobby. She had thought she'd managed to completely cut herself off from that, and would never be stupid enough to get her heart entangled up in someone who would likely get bored of her within a few months.

But Remy had managed to get under her skin, and somehow made her feel things she never thought she would be able to feel.

For that alone, she had fallen hard for him.

Not that she would ever admit it.

"He's charming, 'strue" Rogue agreed, finally pulling on her gloves. "But he'll get bored once tha chase is over."

"Don't sound too disappointed by the prospect" Kitty teased, "Shall we go?"

Scott was waiting for them out in the hallway, he had replaced his glasses with his visor and crossed his arms over his chest.

"No gloves" he addressed Rogue the moment she stepped out of the room, "You might need to use your mutation."

"Doubtful" Rogue rolled her eyes but pulled her gloves off anyway.

"Logan is waiting for you on his motorbike outside" Scott continued, "You'll be needing these."

He passed her a black, velvet mask with two eye holes and a black elastic band to hold it to her face and a plain black woollen hat.

"Am Ah goin' tah a masked ball?" Rogue asked, raising her eyebrows and holding up the items. "Or maybe tah rob a bank?"

Scott sighed, finally sick of being talked back at.

"Just go" he said with a note of finality, "Kitty and I will meet you there."

Rogue left before she could annoy him any further, grinning at Kitty as she flew out of the door. Logan was sat astride his motorbike, one foot was balancing on the pavement and he was chewing on a cigar.

"Raring tah go, Ah see" Rogue teased, jumping onto the bike behind him and accepting the helmet his passed to her.

"Pissin' myself in anticipation" he rolled his eyes, pulling the cigar out of his mouth and starting up the ignition.

"Ain't cha gonna wear a helmet?" she asked, fastening the straps around her chin.

"Indestructible" he said, tapping a finger on his skull before turning around and revving the engine. "Hold on."

Rogue grabbed his waist just before he peeled out of the street, taking the first bend a lot faster than was necessary.

She often felt when Logan took her for a ride on his motorbike that he forgot she didn't have the added bonus of a healing factor to save her from what might happen if they ended up wrapped around a tree. Or maybe he just thought he could touch her, and she could borrow that power from him.

Whatever the reason, he didn't bother to drive carefully when she was on the back.

She didn't mind, she enjoyed the wind whipping around her hair and flying down the streets. She would never dare drive this fast herself, so the ride with Logan at the wheel was exhilarating.

Thanks to Logan's erratic driving, they arrived in a fairly short time.

"Why does it always gotta be an abandoned warehouse" Rogue sighed as she climbed off the back of the bike, pulling the helmet off her head and straightening her hair.

"It ain't as abandoned as it looks" Logan replied, flicking back the kick stand to his bike and straightening up.

"How we gettin' in?" Rogue asked.

"Guess that's up to our fearless leader" Logan said, stretching his arms over his head.

Rogue moved to look at the warehouse, it was surrounded by mesh fencing with wrapped barbed wire over the top. She threaded her fingers through the wire fencing and sighed. The warehouse itself wasn't big and it was barely lit, there didn't appear to be any security on the site and th fencing wasn't electric. It made Rogue wonder what could be kept here and if it was so important, why the security wasn't better.

"Ain't no guards" Rogue said.

"They don't need guards by the look of the security" Logan had moved up next to her and leant up against the fence. "Makes me wonder how your boyfriend could have gotten in."

"He ain't mah boyfriend" Rogue said immediately.

Logan smiled, "Don't you want to ask how I know about the security?"

Rogue didn't respond immediately, she didn't want to say anything to make him question her further.

The thought of this mission was making her jumpy, she had to take a deep, calming breath every time she thought about the fact she might bump into Remy, and what might happen if she did. Standing in one place for even a short time was making her anxious, and it took everything in her not to start pacing around the clearing.

Logan had caught her out because all she could think about was Remy finding out who she really was.

He would hate her for it.

"Well Ah-"

Suddenly Scott's voice came through the communicator in her ear and made her jump.

"So, lets go through the plan again, shall we?" he said briskly.

"He musta noticed we all fell asleep the first time he explained it" Logan said gruffly, pulling the cigar out of his pocket again.

Rogue snorted.

"Logan and Rogue, you'll both go in and have a look around in there, we need to know what this is all about" he paused, "If you find Remy, try not to engage with him."

"An' how do you propose we get ahold of whatever this thing he's stealing is, without engagin' with him?" Logan wanted to know.

"Apparently by lookin' lahke thah Phantom o' the Opera" Rogue answered, waving her mask in front of his face.

One side of Logan's mouth lifted.

Scott continued as though she hadn't spoken.

"Me and Kitty will run security, I'll be on the perimeter" he said, "Kitty's already got full access of their systems."

"I've found the weak point in the fencing that Remy must have used to get in" Kitty's voice came through next. "If you keep walking towards the next gate it should be open."

"He's got skills, that man of yours" Logan said, pushing open the gate with one finger and stepping onto the complex.

Rogue was smart enough not to reply this time, instead she put the mask on her face and followed Logan towards the building. She pulled the hat over her head, grumbling slightly at its itchiness but marvelling over Scott's genius. Her hair was extremely distinctive, especially with the white stripe, as she tucked it up into the hat she silently thanked Scott for always being one step ahead.

"We're lucky tonight" Kitty continued, "Remy has shut down all the building security, as long as you're out of there before him, we shouldn't have a problem."

"An' if we ain't?" Rogue wanted to know.

"I should be able to control them remotely from here" Kitty said.

"But we'd rather not risk it" Scott said, "So get out of there as quickly as you can."

"No pressure" Rogue muttered.

"Nothin' to worry about, Darlin" Logan said easily, popping the claws out of his left hand and ripping the lock right out of the door.

"Not exactly inconspicuous" Rogue pointed out.

"Gumbo is here to steal somethin'" Logan shrugged, "Pretty obvious there's been a break in."

Rogue didn't reply as they entered one of the main corridors and tried to make her footsteps as quiet as possible. Remy seemed to have walking in silence down to an art form, but all she could hear was the squeak of leather and rubber as she and Logan made their way down the corridor together.

Now that she was here, her anxiety over bumping into Remy heightened. Her nerves were pulled tight like piano strings, she felt as though the slightest strain might cause them to snap completely. She was sure, despite the mask, that Remy would recognise her.

No one, not even Bobby, had touched her the way he had in his office the night before. No one looked so deeply into her eyes when they were talking, or even paid attention to her so closely when she spoke.

She was worried that he would recognise her even for the slightest movement.

"You're very quiet" Logan noted.

"Don't want tah draw attention to us" Rogue whispered.

"We could take him" Logan assured her, "Just flutter your eyelashes a bit."

"Oh shut up."

Logan laughed, "You like the kid, don't ya?"

Rogue didn't answer immediately. There was no use in lying, Logan could always see right through her.

"He ain't bad" she conceded.

"Let's find out what he's here to steal first" Logan said with a note of finality as they met a fork in the corridor.

They glanced at each other and Logan covered the mouth piece of his communicator, "Split up?"

Rogue nodded easily and took the left corridor, treading even more carefully now she was alone.

She passed several empty rooms but didn't see anything of interest, so she decided to try one of the doors.

The first room she walked into appeared to be an operating room, there was a large white chair in the centre surrounded by stark silver trays and instruments.

She backed out of the room and closed the door, not wanting to see anymore.

It did made her wonder what Remy was here to steal, perhaps it was some expensive medical equipment. It didn't seem very likely that a lot of that would be hidden in an abandoned warehouse, but everything about this entire situation just seemed a little bit odd to her.

She walked further down the corridor and tried to open another door, the lock stuck and she tried to push the handle down harder. It wouldn't budge, and just as she was about to bend and try the lock, a movement further up the corridor drew her attention.

She looked up quickly to see Remy stood a few feet from her, considering her with blank red eyes.

He looked breath taking, wrapped up in black leather trousers and a tight black shirt that hugged the muscles of his arms and torso. He looked dangerous tonight, like the person she had expected to meet from the moment she'd seen him on that photograph in the War Room.

Not at all like the soft and caring person she had come to know.

She half expected to see him smile, to cock his head and swagger over to her with that air of Remy LeBeau confidence he seemed to carry everywhere with him.

Instead he remained standing a few paces from her, bristling with anticipation.

"Who sent yo'?" he asked sharply.

She didn't answer because she knew she couldn't, the moment she spoke he would recognise her voice and her cover would be blown.

She cursed Scott for sending her in, instead of the girl who could walk through walls.

"Walk away, petite" he said, moving his fingers as though itching to pull something out of his pocket. "Dis ain't worth dyin' f'r."

Rogue raised an eyebrow and moved so her entire body was facing him, and primed in case he made a move towards her. She heard the warning in his words and wondered how real they were, but she also heard the challenge.

Remy thought she would be an easy opponent, and she was desperate to show him that wasn't the case.

"Have it yo' own way, chere" he said, his voice sad.

He moved first, lunging towards her and very nearly landing a hit. She had never seen anyone move quite like him, he was graceful and not a single drop of his energy was wasted. He moved with a purpose, landing hits through the air almost like a dancer.

She wasn't a bad fighter by any means, training almost every day with Logan had more that toughened her up. Getting hit with a face full of adamantium would do that to a girl.

But Remy had the upper hand in this fight, he almost seemed to be able to predict her movements. Every time she landed a blow, he would parry back or dodge completely.

She was jealous of how much control he had over his own body.

She landed a kick to his ribs that seemed to wind him, and took full advantage by bringing her arm around to land another hit. Remy was too fast, his hand fastened around her wrist before she came into contact with her target and she had to hesitate.

A little because of the panic she saw shining from his red eyes, but mostly because his fingers were brushing against the top of the bare skin of her wrist.

But nothing was happening.

There was no pull of energy from him, as she usually felt the moment someone touched her. She couldn't hear his voice in her mind, which was usually what took over the moment she touched someone. But the main thing was that he was stood, upright and conscious, completely unaffected by the undiluted power of her bare skin.

It unbalanced her.

Unfortunately, Remy used her distraction to his advantage, cuffing her around the head with his foot and letting go of her wrist. He took off down the corridor the moment she had fallen, and as she stumbled to go after him she noticed the arm of her jacket was glowing bright magenta.

She had just enough time to pull it off and throw it down the corridor before it exploded with a dull bang, much smaller than she expected.

"Rogue?" Scott's panicked voice came down the communicator. "What was that?"

"Ah'm fahne!" she answered, breathless. "The damn Cajun almost blew mah hand off!"

"Well, he didn't know it was you" Kitty reasoned.

"I told you not to engage with him!" Scott was furious, "Where's Logan?"

"We split up" Rogue winced as Scott's yell came down the communicator, he sounded like a wounded Hippo.

"Where's Remy?" he wanted to know.

"He took off" Rogue said, dusting herself off and making to follow Remy down the corridor. "Ah'm goin' after him."

"Stay where you are, that's an order" Scott's voice was firm this time.

"But-"

It was Logan who interrupted this time, "Gumbo is long gone and the least of our worries."

"What do you mean by that?" Scott asked.

"I'll explain later" Logan sounded gruff even down the communicator, "We need to get outta here now."

"Rogue come back out of the gate you entered at" Scott was trying to take control of the mission again, "Kitty and I will meet you there."

"Don't bother" said Logan, his voice was growing louder and Rogue turned to see him making his way down the corridor towards her. "I'm takin' the kid outta here the moment we get tah my bike."

"How'd yah fahde meh so fast?" she wanted to know.

"Got a pretty distinctive smell, darlin'" he said as he stepped over her smouldering jacket and reached for her. He looked shaken, his face was pale and his eyes were wild. This more than anything else, scared Rogue.

Logan wasn't easily shaken up, he had seen too much in his past for the present to bother him.

"What did yah see, Logan?" she breathed.

He shook his head, and she knew it must have been bad if he couldn't even tell her.

"Ain't so sure that man of yours is one of the good ones, kid" he said, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her towards the exit.

Just at that moment, she couldn't help but wonder the same thing.


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I own nothing here, but if anyone knows of a Remy LeBeau, feel free to point me in that direction._

 **Chapter 12**

Those eyes, he just couldn't get them out of his mind.

Those hauntingly green eyes framed in a cheap black mask, staring at him down his corridor of nightmares.

He hadn't slept last night, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about those eyes and he hadn't been able to go home and face his father. Instead he had wandered around New Orleans, wondering what he could possibly do.

The job had been worse that he had imagined, but he had known it would be the moment he sat down at the table with Senator Kelly.

He had been relatively lucky, having the blue prints and knowing the vague location of the object the Senator wanted, he hadn't had to look too deeply into the place.

Out of sight, out of mind.

But in his curious nature he had looked, and what he had seen would haunt him for the rest of his life.

He knew there were people in the world who hated mutants, he even understood to an extent, that it was natural to fear what one didn't understand. But this was a completely different type of prejudice, built on something more that just fear.

If the cages, medical equipment and test subject files weren't enough to turn his stomach, then the offensive little collar currently jabbing him in the ribs certainly was.

Most people didn't know how common experimentation on mutants had been in the past, Remy had heard that it happened but he hadn't imagined how bad it could be. Of course the Goverment had closed all the labs a long time ago, people might fear and mistrust mutants, but that didn't make them any less human.

That just made all the old facilities all too easy to break in to and steal from.

The security had been high grade, for a warehouse that had clearly been abandoned for a good few years, but it had been a walk in the park for him.

Which was the reason his father had chosen him for the job in the first place. Remy had yet to hand over the object he had stolen to his father, but he knew he would, because he didn't have any other choice.

He was bound by the honour that dictated his family.

Remy could even swallow the thought of what might happen to hundreds of innocent people the moment he handed it over, if he just continued to tell himself that it was for the good of the family.

But those eyes.

As if he didn't hate himself enough for what he was doing, it was as though Marie had been conjured up and was stood judging him for his past mistakes. When he saw the woman stood there starting at him with her green eyes and her curvy body all wrapped up in leather, he had to wonder if it might be Marie.

If maybe she had somehow followed him there, if she had discovered what he was and had come to right all the wrong he had done in his past.

Then he had to catch himself.

Marie couldn't possibly know, she couldn't possibly have been there. The girl he had met last night hadn't even spoken to him, and she had been a ferocious fighter. The Marie he knew was soft and delicate, frightened of her own skin, she definitely couldn't throw a punch like that.

Even if there had been any doubt, all that had disappeared the moment he touched her. He'd fastened his hand around the bare skin of her wrist and lived to tell the tale. That in itself had told him that it couldn't be Rogue.

Yet, those eyes had spooked him.

He could deal with just about anyone thinking badly of him, but not Marie.

Remy glanced up at the clock on the wall for what felt like the tenth time in the last five minutes. Once he had gotten sick of walking around the city, he had headed over to Cafe Du Monde and arrived just as it opened.

He had been sat in his current spot ever since, slowly drinking coffee and waiting for Marie.

He was wired but he didn't care, he was also excited to see her.

Sure enough, the moment she walked through the door all thoughts of his family, duty and honour were washed from his mind.

He stood as she spotted him and made her way over.

She looked beautiful, her hair fell down one shoulder in soft curls and she wore a pair of faded denim jeans. She looked extremely causal, and Remy found he liked her even more like this.

Almost as though he was seeing her out of her shell completely for the first time.

She wore a long sleeved white shirt but no gloves, and he had to stop himself from reaching over to touch her.

"Yo' look lovely" he told her as she took a seat across from him.

"Ya'll are too kind, Cajun" she smiled, her green eyes twinkling.

"I ordered de best beignets in de entire o' N'Awlins" he told her as he poured coffee into her cup.

"Quite a recommendation" she teased.

"How yo' take yo' coffee?" he asked.

Rogue wrinkled her nose, "A ton o' cream an' sugah."

Remy couldn't help but laugh as he added the necessary ingredients, "Yo' need a teacher, chere."

"Yah offering yahself foar the job?"

"Mebe dere's a lot dis one could teach yo'" his tone was suggestive, and his eyes lidded as he looked at her.

He expected her to blush, instead she snorted.

"Ah ain't sucha novice, Swamp Boy" she told him, rolling her eyes as she stirred her coffee. "Had me a boyfriend once."

He could tell she regretted saying it from the way her eyes never strayed from her coffee cup, but he couldn't quite make out the flavour of her emotions. They were coloured with hints of sadness, hope, denial and self loathing.

It was a contradictory cocktail and made him wonder about this mystery boyfriend.

"Tell me 'bout him, chere" he said so softly it made her look up.

"There ain't much tah say" said replied.

"I get the feelin' that ain't true."

Rogue fidgeted with the ring on her middle finger, spinning it round and round. "What can yah expect from a boy in a relationship with a gal he can't touch."

"Don't see how dat had much t' do wit' it."

She looked up at him sharply, "What would yah know 'bout bein' with a gal lahke me?" she demanded.

"Wit' yo' now, ain't I chere?" he said, feeling slightly defensive himself. "Sho' know yo' are worth bein' cherished, don't gotta touch yo' t' know dat."

She was looking at him as though she wasn't sure how serious he was, or maybe she just didn't believe him.

"Can be pretty creative when I gotta be, chere" he told her, raising an eyebrow. "Not all touchin' is skin t' skin."

This time she did blush, a delicate pink flush that covered her cheeks and made him want to grin like he'd won a gold medal.

"Shouldn't have tah be, Cajun" she said firmly, her eyes still downcast. "Ain't that tha point?"

"Rogue" he wanted to reach out and take her hand, but noting she wasn't wearing gloves he instead placed a hand on her arm. She looked up at his touch, "A little t'ing like dis ain't gone stop no one fr'm wantin' t' be wit' a girl like yo'."

She laughed bitterly, "Ain't it?"

"Maire-" he tried again.

This time she interrupted him, "Ah was surprised more than anythin' when Bobby started payin' meh more attention than Ah probably deserved."

"Bobby de boy?" He asked darkly. For some reason the thought of anyone else putting their hands on Marie made his stomach turn.

She simply nodded.

"Everyone at the school knew 'bout meh, 'bout what Ah could do" when she said it she bowed her head forward, the curtain of curls falling in front of her face. "Kids tended tah avoid meh."

"Kids be cruel."

"Ah'm sho' yah would know" Marie smiled wirly. "But not Bobby, he gave meh a rose our first ethics lesson together."

Remy was about to interrupt, but he didn't want to stem the flow now that she had finally started to talk.

"It was excitin' at first, tryin' find ways around mah mutation, almost added tah tha anticipation of tha beginnin' of a relationship" Marie sighed deeply, "But Bobby got restless, started gettin' closer with other girls an' spendin' less time wit' me." Marie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at him, to her credit her eyes were devoid of tears. "Ah figured it was Kitteh he would go foar, they were pretty close. But he left me foar some other gal, a pretty sixteen year old who satisfies his needs in ways Ah never could."

"Dis boy" Remy spat the word, "Know nothing. Yo' be a woman chere, an' it would take a real man t' handle yo'."

"That gone be yah role is it, Swamp Boy?"

Remy grinned, "Yo' sho' seem eager f'r dat, non?"

"Seems yah might be real good at it" she fluttered her eyelids as she said it and he felt a stir near his stomach.

This girl would be his undoing.

He reached over, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to hold her hand or pull her into a kiss, all he knew was that he wanted to touch her. Her green eyes were wide but she didn't move her hands, but before he could intertwine their fingers they were interrupted by the waitress.

Rogue jumped and moved her hands under the table, her eyes cast down as the waitress bent very deliberately in front of Remy and asked if there was _anything_ she could get for him.

"Jus' a couple o' beignets" he said, smiling politely as he inwardly cursed her. He turned back to Marie and winked at her. "An' more coffee."

The waitress scribbled down his order and lingered for a second longer before disappearing.

"Think yah got yahself an admirer, Swamp Boy" Marie teased.

"'less she got pretty green eyes an' a white stripe in her hair, I ain't interested" he grinned.

Marie laughed but she couldn't hide the blush that pinked her cheeks.

"Yah sure are a charmer" she told him, cocking her head.

"Tell m' 'bout yo' family, chere?" he said, taking a drink of his coffee.

"Left them a long tahme ago" she admitted, suddenly turning to glance out of the window. "Ah'm closer tah home today than Ah have been since Ah was sixteen."

"What made yo' leave de charms o' de Deep South?"

Marie smiled but it didn't touch her eyes, "Ah told yah the first boy Ah ever kissed ended up in a coma foar three weeks."

"Sure did chere, I was real jealous."

Marie shook her head, "Well, Ah didn't tell yah that it happen as mah powers manifested."

Remy couldn't help but visibly wince. When his powers first began to show themselves it was a scary and confusing time, not only because he couldn't touch something without making it explode. He couldn't imagine how terrible it must have been for her, to be kissing her boyfriend one minute then notice he was unconscious the next.

"Mah parents weren't real keen on keepin' a mutant around" she shrugged and stirred her coffee, "So Ah took a trip Ah had been plannin' foar after college."

Remy was so focused on her, he barely noticed the waitress place their food between them. "Where'd yo' go?" he asked softly.

He was suddenly thinking of his own exile, being driven out of his home and having no where to go.

"Up tah Canada" she smiled, "Learned Ah don't much lahke thah cold."

"Dat why yo' came back?" he asked.

"Sorta" she shrugged, pulling a beignet apart and getting her fingers covered in powered sugar. "Ah met a guy there, he's all gruff on thah outside but cuddly as a teddy on thah inside."

She smiled and her eyes twinkled as she slowly licked the sugar from her fingers. Remy had to focus very hard to stop himself from getting distracted.

"Yo' gone tell dis Cajun he wastin' his time?" Remy asked, only half teasing.

Marie laughed, "Logan is much more lahke a father to meh than anythin' else" she assured him.

"Yo' see him much?"

"Sometimes" she said, avoiding his eyes and popping a piece of pastry into her mouth. "How 'bout yah, Cajun?"

"How about me?" He opened his arms and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Marie laughed and ducked her head. Remy decided that she was quite adorable, and that he could spend all day just looking at her.

"Yah sho' are somethin' Cajun" Marie told him.

"Somethin' yo' like" he grinned, winking at her.

"Seriously, Ah wanna know 'bout yoar family" she said, "Yah seem real close with yah brother."

"Henri is good t' me" Remy agreed, "An he might be m' brother, but dat don't make Jean-Luc m' father."

"How do yah mean, Cajun?" she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Remy be adopted, chere" he said.

"They still yah family, ain't they?" Marie pressed, "Yah run yoar daddy's club after all."

"He ain't m' dad" Remy insisted, "He put me in charge o' de club t' keep m' busy, hopin' I'd forget de past an' fall back in line."

"What do yah mean?" she asked, wrapping her hands around her coffee cup.

"Don't mean nothin'" Remy smiled, his eyes tightening. He didn't want to talk about his family with Marie, it only reminded him how she deserved to be with someone so much better than he was.

"Does this have something tah do with that job?" Marie asked, she seemed politely curious but there was something else lurking behind her eyes.

Remy opened his mouth as if to answer, before closing it and shaking his head. "Family business, ain't it chere."

Marie nodded slowly, "O' course" she agreed, clearing her throat and downing the rest of her coffee. "Ah should probably be goin'."

Remy was so taken back by her abruptness that it took a moment for him to respond.

"But yo' ain't finished yo' beignets, chere" he fumbled, standing up as she reached for her bag.

"Ah got stuff tah do" she said, seemingly apologetic. "Thanks for tha coffee, Remy" she smiled tightly but it didn't reach her eyes, and before he could even try to stop her she was gone.

Remy was left standing alone at their table, wondering what he could have done wrong and marvelling over the complicated nature of this girl.


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I just write here._

 **Chapter 13**

Rogue hadn't been able to sleep, her mind was racing and nothing she did seemed to stop her from thinking about the night in the warehouse.

Logan had been very vague about what he had seen, just telling them that it wasn't very pleasant and that was all they needed to know.

But she and Kitty had sat up against her bedroom door after they'd gotten back to the flat that night, listening in on the conversation Logan and Scott were trying so hard to keep secret from them.

"We need to get out of here" Logan's voice was gruff but he didn't bother to try and keep it low.

"What did you see, Logan?" Scott wanted to know.

"Does it matter?" Logan bit out, "The kid shouldn't have to spend another second around a man mixed up in that!"

"Mixed up in what?" Scott tried again.

"We knew the Senator wanted to control mutants" Logan said heavily, "Looks like he might have some interest in experimenting on them."

"Experimenting how?"

"You think I was born with adamatium laced claws?" Logan said angrily, "Someone is testing on mutant genetics again, and we need to find out why."

"Were there mutants in that facility?" Scott asked slowly.

"I only saw the files" Logan said heavily, the sound of a chair scraping alerted them that he had taken a seat. "Those poor kids."

Rogue looked at Kitty to see her own wide expression mirrored.

After that everything seemed to be decided, they would head back to the mansion and work on a plan.

There was something big in the works here and Scott seemed to have decided that Remy was a relatively small fish in the whole situation.

Rogue sighed as she glanced at herself in the mirror, ready for her last ever shift at Roxy's.

She was a little bit sad about it.

"Shouldn't you be going?" a voice asked quietly from the doorway.

She turned to see Kitty watching her.

"Don't see tha point, with us leavin' anyway" Rogue shrugged.

"One last chance to find out what Remy stole" Kitty said quietly.

"He didn't tell me yesterday" Rogue said harshly, "Ain't got no reason to think today would be different."

"Rogue, I know you think he's a nice guy but-"

"Ah don't think anything" Rogue said quickly, "Ah gotta go."

She brushed past Kitty and practically ran out of the flat to avoid seeing Logan and Scott.

She didn't want to face any of them while thinking about what she had to do.

Rogue knew that she shouldn't feel sad about turning her back on Remy, he had effectively turned his back on her and everyone like her.

So why should she be so broken up about it?

He had even proved at their date last night that he didn't trust her. Not that she has really expected him to open up, but she had been a little more than hurt when he'd shut her down so quickly.

She'd ran out because she had to, she hadn't even wanted to go and meet him after everything she had heard. But Scott wanted to be sure that Remy hadn't recognised her, and to find out if he could tell her anything else.

They'd fallen so easily into each other's company, flirting and teasing each other, that she'd almost forgotten what he was capable of. But the moment she had realised he wasn't about to share anymore information with her, she'd left immediately. It was as though his refusal to share personal information was a reminder that their relationship wasn't real.

She was a distraction, and he was her mission.

Spending time with him now was painful enough, knowing now that she would never see him again. That she would probably never feel the way she felt in his company ever again. She hadn't wanted to prolong it anymore than she had to.

It also didn't help that the longer she spent with him, the more she wanted to touch him.

The puzzle of how he had managed to touch her that night in the warehouse had been playing on her mind since it had happened. She hadn't mentioned it to any of the others because she hadn't wanted them to know, they would likely dismiss it and she _knew_ it had happened.

She didn't know how, but she did know that Remy LeBeau had touched her bare skin and now she was leaving, she would never know how he had managed it.

She would never feel his skin against hers again.

Rogue shook this thought out of her head as smiled at the security and entered the club, taking the stairs two at a time.

She had meant to tell Remy last night that she was leaving, but he'd been so happy to see her that she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

Now, she was totally dreading the thought.

She just wanted to get the shift over with and leave, knowing they would be back at the Mansion soon, and far away from the South, was her only conciliation.

Aside from having to see Bobby again.

Her life would go back to what it had been before she'd met Remy, and the thought made her feel sick.

She swallowed back the bile that built in her thoat as she went to pick up a tray of drinks at the bar. She hadn't quite reached them before she heard, "Marie, could yo' come in here?"

Rogue glanced up to see Remy stood in the doorway to his office with his arms crossed over his chest, he was watching her with guarded red eyes.

"Ah gotta help at tha bar" she protested.

"Charlotte can spare yo'" Remy said, not moving.

She sighed and followed him into his office.

"Ah gotta tell yah something anyway, Mista LeBeau" she said as she entered the office.

"Mista LeBeau, is it?" he asked, snapping the door shut behind her.

"Ah'm tryin' tah be professional" she told him, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the carpet. "An Ah need tah say-"

"Me first, chere" he interrupted her, "Been t'inkin' a lot 'bout our date last night."

She looked up and met his red eyed gaze.

"Figured yo' got a right t' know 'bout dis job an' I shouldn't have dismissed yo'."

"Ah had no right yah ask-" Rogue tried again.

"Yo' had every right, chere" Remy told her, "'Cause yo' were wrong, dis bar ain't de family buinsess."

"It ain't?" Rogue clarified.

Remy shook his head, "'M a thief chere, an' I was hired by de Senator t' steal somethin'."

"What?" she asked.

Remy moved aside and pointed at his desk.

The device sat in the centre, cold and cruel looking. It was a harsh lump of metal in the shape of a collar, a chain device locked the front together and a green light glowed sinisterly at her.

"What does it do?" she wanted to know.

Remy had moved up behind her, but she didn't notice until she felt a ghost of his hand against her hip.

"It's a power inhibitor" he said quietly, "It negates mutant powers."

It took her a moment to swallow that information.

Her first thought was that at least now she knew how Remy had managed to touch her that night. It made her a little sad to realise it was due to this sadistic machine, but she was at least glad to no longer have to puzzle over why.

The second thought was a horrific one, because she really didn't want to think what Senator Kelly would want with such a device.

"Ya'll ain't gonna give that tah the Senator, are yah?" she demanded, turning to look at him.

"Ain't got no choice chere, he paid for it."

"That don't make it right, Remy!" she pressed indignantly. "He'd put that thing round yoar neck if he had the chance!"

"Chere, yo' wouldn't understand" he muttered, taking a step back from her and keep his eyes cast down to the floor. "De family-"

"Ain't no family if they think it's okay tah ask yah tah do a job lahke that."

She was livid, in fact she didn't think she had ever been so angry on someone else's behalf before. Of course she had been asked to do a lot as an X-Men, which just happened to be the reason she was stood in front of Remy right now. But Xavier had never asked her to do anything he knew she would be uncomfortable with, never something that would compromise her morals.

Certainly never anything on this scale.

Rogue had little time to think about it further, or to even work herself up any more, because Remy seized her head between his hands and pressed her up against the wall.

He tongue kissed her so deeply she felt it in the tips of her toes. The brief panic she felt when he first touched her was immediately outstripped by something she couldn't say she'd ever felt before.

She wrapped her arms up around his neck and pulled him up against her, as she felt the kiss everywhere.

As soon as he released her, she felt flushed everywhere and so weak in the knees she fell against the wall.

Remy chuckled, "Ain't I the one meant t' be swoonin' ma cherie" he said softly.

"Apparently that thing can keep mah powers at bay" she said, nodding towards the silver collar on the desk.

Remy' brows furrowed, "It only works when yo' wear it, chere."

She felt all the colour drain out of her, "But, that ain't possible."

"Well, how long does it take f'r yo' powers to kick in?" he asked, looking at his hand as though he was hoping to see some physical evidence of her mutation.

"It's instant" she told him, "Yah should be dead, or at least unconscious."

"So why ain't I?"

"Ah don't know-"

Before she could even finish his mouth was on her again, he pushed her up against the wall with one hand on her waist and the other on her bottom.

She would have protested, but the feel of his lips against hers had her melting into his arms like she was a teenage girl feeling the flutters of first love.

"Stop" she whispered against her lips and placed her hands on his chest. She didn't push him away, but he backed off anyway.

"Yo' okay, chere?" he asked softly.

"Ah ain't used tah all this touchin'" she said, clutching onto him as though she would fall over it she didn't. "It's makin' me quite light headed."

"In a good way" Remy grinned, moving in to kiss her neck.

"Yah shouldn't push yoar luck, Swamp Rat" she said in a choked voice.

"Been dreamin' o' dis since de day we met, chere" he whispered against her collarbone. "Ain't gonna let de opportunity pass now."

Rogue took a deep breath through her nose and clutched onto his shoulders, "Remy, Ah ain't-"

"Just relax, chere" he said softly, raining kisses along her collarbone. "Happen t' be quite good at this."

Rogue laughed nervously, which she was sure was his intension. But she couldn't quite settle the panic she felt bubbling in her stomach. It was mostly because she didn't know why her mutation wasn't working on Remy, and a part of her was afraid he'd slump down unconscious any moment. But another part of her, a very small part, was afraid for other reasons.

Reasons she wasn't sure she could admit to.

Before she had the chance to try and put this into words, Remy took a step back. Not far enough to give her much breathing space and his hands remained firmly fixed on her waist. But he stepped back just enough to look into her eyes.

"What is it, chere?" he asked softly, "Yo' seem nervous."

"More nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full o' rockin' chairs."

He smiled and dragged a finger down her cheek, "I ain't gone hurt yo' none."

"Ah know" he voice wobbled, "An' it ain't 'cause Ah don't want t' Remy, Ah really do, it's just that Ah ain't sure-"

Remy stopped her by pressing a finger against her lips.

"We jus' kissin', Rogue" he told her carefully, "We don't got t' do nothin' yo' ain't comfortable with."

"Ah ain't uncomfortable" she said a little defensively.

"That why yo' stood dere like a red hot poker?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Or yo' tryin' t' tell me I'm a bad kisser?"

"Remy it ain't that-"

"Am I makin' yo' uncomfortable, chere?" he asked, his red eyes intense as he looked at her. "Ain't yo' attracted to me?"

Rogue rolled her eyes and snorted, "Ain't a single gal round here who ain't attracted tah yah, stupid Swamp Rat."

"Den what?"

"Ain't never touched no one lahke this before, Cajun" she told him, "Ain't never felt lahke this, an' Ah ain't even sho' what Ah'm meant tah do wit' all these feelin's."

Remy laughed, it was a low throaty sound that hit her in the stomach like a shot of whiskey. He reached to take her face between his hands and she had to swallow and grip the wall to stop herself from falling over.

"Am I making things difficult f'r yo' chere?" he asked, leaning it to kiss the shell of her ear.

"Well Ah-" she gasped suddenly as he tugged lightly on her earlobe with his teeth.

"Feels good, don't it?" he whispered as he slipped his fingers under her shirt and skated over her stomach.

She wondered what would happen if she spontaneously combusted right there. It wasn't fair, how he could turn her into a dripping mess with a single touch but she didn't seem to be effecting him at all?

She felt hot and itchy all over, her nipples had hardened into points against her shirt and the pool of heat between her thighs was so intense she was afraid she might fall over.

She had been aroused before of course, she and Bobby had made out above clothes and often gotten carried away.

But never in her life had she felt anything as intense as this.

She let out a moan and fell up against the wall as his fingers traced indecent patterns over her stomach and across her back.

"Mebe we should slow down" Remy conceded, his voice sounding slightly choked, "Yo' be testin' m' self control."

Rogue felt the loss of heat immediately as he removed his fingers, "But Ah ain't doin' anythin'" she protested.

"Yo' are so sweet, mah Cherie" he said, softly stroking her hair. "But yo' be doin' a lot."

As soon as he stepped back the offensive little object came back into her view, and it was the perfect bucket of cold water poured right over her libido.

"Ah should probably get goin' anyway" she said shortly, avoiding meeting his eyes.

For a moment she had forgotten who he was and what he was planning to do. She blamed her lapse on lust, but it was still a lapse.

Remy turned to glance at the object sitting on his desk, almost as though he knew what she was thinking.

"I'll throw it into the swamp tonight" he promised, "Should be heavy enough to sink."

"What?" she stuttered, pausing in her act of heading towards the door.

"Yo' be right, chere" he conceded, leaning back against his desk. "Can't let dis fall into de wrong hands."

"But yah family-"

"Tell dem I couldn't get it or it weren't dere" he shrugged, "Dey be mad, but mebe s'worth it, non?"

This time it was Rogue who attacked him. She catapulted herself across the room and practically tackled him, throwing her arms around his neck and landing a kiss right on his lips.

To his credit he responded with enthusiasm, pulling her up so she wrapped her legs around his waist and kissing her with equal vigour.

"Yoar a mystery, Cajun" she said, as she moved back for a little room to breath.

"Can't stand yo' thinkin' badly of me, chere" he said, his voice breathless between kisses. "Jus' want t' be good enough f'r yo'."

His words made her freeze in the act of pulling him back in for another kiss. He had been nothing but honest with her about everything, did he not deserve the same from her?

Suddenly she felt extremely uncomfortable.

She slid down his body and landed with two feet firmly on the floor.

"Remy, Ah gotta tell yah somethin'" she said quietly.

He backed away slightly to look into her eyes, "What is it, chere?" he asked softly.

"Mebe yah should sit down" she said.

"Only if yo' do too" he tugged on her hand and pulled her over to the cosy leather sofa in the corner of his office.

He lounged so easily, stretching out over the leather like a cat. He belonged on the front of a magazine. He pulled her down with him and she fell so that her body was half on top of his.

"What is it, chere?" he asked, slowly rubbing his fingers down her arm.

"Ah can't concentrate with yah hands on me" she chastised.

"Mebe I don't want yo' t' concentrate" he teased.

"Damn it, Remy" she burst out, getting up from the seat and pacing across the room. "This is serious."

"Okay, chere" he said, leaning back against the sofa and considering her with intense red eyes.

"What do yah know 'bout mah employment tah Roxy's?" she asked.

Remy shrugged, "I ain't in charge o' recruitment" he said easily.

"An' yah didn't think it was odd, a gal just turnin' back up here outta the blue?"

"Marie" Remy sighed, standing up and making his way over to her, "Don't care 'bout yo' past none, only care about yo'."

Before he could reach for her she said, "Have yah ever heard of the X-Men?"

Remy froze, his red eyes wide with sudden panic.

"I heard o' dem, sure" he said, in a would be casual voice. "Who ain't?"

"Do yah know what they do?"

"Run around like a bunch o' wannabe heroes, ain't it?"

Rogue shook her head, "We try and protect mutants and humans from anythin' that might threaten us."

"We?" Remy's eyebrows knitted together.

"Ah'm an X-Men" she told him, her voice wobbled. "We got information that Senator Kelly was in league with the Thieves Guild."

She took a deep breath as Remy's face suddenly went unreadably blank, a mask of calm.

"Ah was sent here tah gain yoar trust an' learn as much as Ah could 'bout yah plan."

Remy's face remained blank for another second before his eyes were overtaken by complete fury.

"It _was_ yo'" he looked at her as though he didn't even know who she was. "De girl in de warehouse dat night, de one I fought-"

Rogue nodded slowly, "Ah was sure yah would recognise meh."

"Well yo' a good little actress, ain't cha, ma cherie?" he said, shaking his head and practically spitting venom. "Gotta say, de gal wit' de poison skin, dat was a nice touch" he smiled without humour.

"Ah weren't lyin'!" she burst out, suddenly outraged.

"Well yo' can sho' touch me" he pointed out, "an yo' lied 'bout everythin' else!"

"Do all tha gals yah touch practically faint?" she demanded, her face flushing angrily. "Sho' yah ain't that skilled, Casanova."

"Weren't sayin' dat two seconds ago."

Rogue shook her head as she looked at him, "Believe what yah want" she spat, "But Ah ain't goin' out there an' knockin' everyone out jus' tah prove yah wrong."

"It ain't for yo' t' be mad!" he said, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Yo' hypocrite!"

"How am ah?"

"Yo' tell me m' family makes me do t'ings I ain't comfortable wit'" he shook his head and tried to control his anger. "Did yo' enjoy pretendin' yo' have feelin's for m'?"

"Ah weren't never pretendin'!" she burst out, immediately regretting the words and faulting. "Ah felt t'ings f'r yah that Ah ain't never felt before."

Remy laughed, "Yo jus' a girl, chere." His eyes wandered down her body as he considered her, "A nice distraction, but n't for de long term."

Rogue felt as thought she has been punched in the stomach. Her face grew hot and she wasn't sure if it was due to embarrassment or anger. "Well, Ah guess we got nothin' more yah say."

"Guess not" Remy shrugged, turning his back on her to face the desk.

"Yah can take that tah yoar family now, as mah opinion means so little" she hissed, gesturing towards the collar still sat on his desk as her hands shook with anger. "Ah hope yoar tha first they strap in it."

Then she turned and ran out of the office before she could say anything else, fighting back tears all the way through the bar.


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just spend most days wishing I did._

 **Chapter Fourteen**

Remy didn't think he'd ever been so angry in his life.

He spent the entire night in his office, fuming.

He had been betrayed, again. By someone he thought cared for him, again.

Whenever he thought of Marie's wide green eyes shining up at him, insisting all the things she had felt were real, he was reminded of his father nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders as he told Remy that his exile was for the good of the family.

It made bile rise in the back of Remy's throat.

Of course Marie wasn't family, and her betrayal would never match that of Jean-Luc's, but it still stung around the edges of his still healing wounds.

Because he had stupidly started to think that Marie might be able to give him something he didn't think he would ever want again, something even Belladonna had never been able to give him. He had come to care for her more that he should have done for a girl he barely knew, and that above all scared him.

The more he thought of her betrayal, the more his mind shifted back to his father, and the confrontation they had never had.

When Remy had arrived back in New Orleans after so many years away, there had been no apology, no hug to show how much he had been missed.

Just a sharp smile, an envelope containing the details of his next job and an order to patch things up with his wife.

The more he thought about it, the more he grew angry.

Until he had picked up his phone and dialled Herni's number. His brother had picked up after the second ring.

"Mon frere, where are yo'?" his brother had half shouted down the phone, "Papa is outta his mind!"

"Been thinkin' a few t'ings over" Remy stewed.

"Yo' need t' stop t'inkin' an' get over t' de house."

"Be dere in de mornin'" Remy promised, "Need yo' t' be dere too, mon frere."

"I got a job-"

"Henri."

His tone must have sounded desperate because his brother yielded, "Okay, I be dere."

"Merci."

"Oh Remy" Henri's voice sounded tentative, "Yo' get it?"

"In de morning, mon frere."

He had hung up the phone then, not wanting to answer any more questions. None of this was Henri's fault, he knew that and didn't wish to take his anger out on his brother.

Just like he knew that none of this was Marie's fault, and he shouldn't have taken his anger out on her.

He winced when he remembered the look on her face the night before as he had callously looked her over and told her she was nothing but a distraction. The anger that had flushed her cheeks and the hurt that flooded her eyes forced him to look away, he was sure he would have reached for her if he hadn't.

He hadn't meant a word of it.

Just like he was sure she hadn't meant it when she'd told him she hoped he would be the first strapped into the offensive little collar currently jabbing him in the ribs.

She had just been doing her job, doing what she thought was right. In his rational mind he could see how he would be the enemy to her, a mutant working with Senator Kelly to help him control all other mutants.

A betrayer of his own kind.

He was sure she must loath him.

The truth about Marie's circumstances had shocked him and he had been hurt, so he had lashed out. It wasn't as though he wasn't used to deception, his family lied and cheated each other at least three times before breakfast. But he had never expected it from her, his good sweet Marie.

To make matters even worse, he knew now that he would never be good enough for her.

She was an X-Man who fought for what she believed in and dedicated her life to helping others.

He was a thief who fought for no one but himself, money and his family's messed up values.

He would never be good enough for her.

That made him angrier than any lies or betrayal ever could.

The barely contained anger simmered beneath the surface of his skin as he opened the door to the Mansion of the Guild of Thieves and entered for the first time in days. The cloying atmosphere almost choked him as he entered the hall.

Exile had changed him.

When he was a boy he had loved this house, loved the idea of living somewhere so vast and mysterious. Now the great portraits staring down at him as he moved towards the dining room raised hairs on the back of his neck.

The entire family were waiting for him as he entered the dining room. His father, his brother and his three cousins.

Jean-Luc was at the head of the table, his cheeks red and his greying hair stuck up on end as though he had been running his hands through it several times. To his left sat Remy's cousins, Emil, Etienne and Theoren. At least Theo had the decency to look composed, the other two however seemed seconds away from laugher. The opposite side of the table was a different story, his brother Henri sat with an extremely grave look about his features, hand-in-hand with his wife Mercy.

She was twilling a lock of hair around her finger and turned to smile at Remy as she spotted him in the entryway.

The final member of the table was Tante Mattie, who was sat opposite from Jean-Luc, the large black woman said nothing but stared at a faraway point across the room as though her mind was not privy to the conversation.

"Drawn up de battle lines?" Remy asked, leaning against the door frame and fixing his accusing eyes on his father.

"Yo' don't listen t' me, son" Jean-Luc said, leaning back in his chair. "Brought some people yo' might listen to."

"I ain't yo' son" Remy said, stepping into the room and slipping into the chair beside Henri.

"Dat ain't fair" his brother interjected.

"Ain't it?" Remy snorted, shaking his head.

"Henri tells us yo' head been turned by a pretty waitress from Roxy's" his father practically growled. "Should I be surprised?"

"Dat I treat de staff like people?" Remy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Suppose yo' would be."

"Dat yo' been payin' more attention t' dis slip o' a girl dan t' yo' wife" Jean-Luc burst out, his face flushed with anger.

"Yo' wrong 'bout two tings den, Papa" Remy said, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow. "Dat slip o' a girl left N'Awlins last night, an' Belle ain't m' wife."

"She is-"

"Sent back de annulment papers" he said, "It's over, Jean-Luc."

Remy watched as his father's face became even redder, it was almost like watching a kettle fill with water. Remy wouldn't have been surprised if steam burst from his ears.

"Yo' can do better anyway, cuz" said Etienne, shrugging and throwing a casual wink across the table.

"Don't speak against, Belle" Remy shot his cousin a warning look, "Dis ain't her fault."

"Non, it's yo'rs!" Jean-Luc burst out, "Yo' a disgrace!"

"Papa dat ain't fair" Henri reasoned, "If Remy weren't happy-"

"What dat got t' do wit' it?" his father burst out, "Yo' t'ink me an' yo' mama were happy?"

"Willing t' bet she weren't, married t' yo'" Remy hissed, narrowing his eyes at Jean-Luc.

"Remy yo' ain't helpin'" Henri sighed.

"Helpin' what?" Remy burst out, finally frustrated with this conversation. "He ain't gone be happy 'till 'm chained t' Belle, producin' little future patriarchs f'r him t' manipulate."

"S' about de honour o' de family" Henri tried again.

"Which yo' know nothin' 'bout" his father practically spat across the table.

"Well ain't dat a joke" Remy laughed without humour, "Yo' ain't got an ounce o' honour."

"What do yo' mean by dat?" Henri asked.

Remy cut his father a glare before turning his attention back to his brother, "Did Papa tell yo' de details o' de job he made me do?"

Henri's eyes flicked t' Jean-Luc before focusing on Remy again, "He didn't need to" his brother defended immediately, "Was in de meetin' wit' de Senator, same as yo'."

"But he didn't tell yo' what I'd be stealin'?"

Jean-Luc spoke before Henri could, "I didn't know any better dan yo'."

Remy snorted, "Who he give de plans to den, Papa?"

Jean-Luc fell silent and Emil spoke up, "What was yo' stealin', cuz?"

He looked worried, and Remy felt his heart warm for the first time since he had stepped into the room. Emil had always been his favourite cousin, it was nice to know he had an ally in the room.

"A device t' make me an' everyone like me a hamster on a wheel."

There was a beat of silence.

"Yo' don't know what de Senator has planned f'r-" his father started.

"I know it ain't good" Remy countered, "F'r me or anyone like me."

"Yo' a thief" his father said harshly.

"'M a mutant too" he countered, "'Cept yo' f'rgot fat when yo' sent me into dat torture chamber."

"Remy I'm sure it ain't as bad-" his brother tried again.

"As bad as what, Henri?" Remy said dangerously, his red eyes flashing across the table. "As bad as de slabs dey strap mutants too? As bad as de tools dey use t' experiment on dem? As bad as de prisons dey were kept in? Or as bad as de dozens o' files o' children dat were visitors t' dat facility?"

The colour drained from his brother's features as he glanced at his wife and spoke again, "It ain't f'r us t' pass judgement."

"Non" Remy agreed, "Jus' f'r us t' help dose torturers."

"Remy, yo' know it ain't like dat" his cousin Theoren sighed, pressing his fingers against his temples. "We do what's best for de family."

"No questions asked" Remy muttered.

No one in the room spoke up to come to his aid, but no one spoke against him either. He was sure that everyone in the room had done something they weren't proud of, that they wished they could take back, but just brushed under the carpet and convinced themselves it was for the good of the family.

He was getting pretty tired of it all.

"Dis yo' way o' tellin' us yo' ain't got it?" his father thundered.

"Even if I did, I sho' wouldn't be givin' it t' yo'."

"Yo' got any idea how much de Senator was payin' us?" his father howled like a wounded rhino.

"Why ain't I surprised it's de money yo' care about" Remy shot him another filthy look and sat down. "More important dan de damage dat collar could do t' yo'r _son_."

"Remy it ain't about de money" his brother stepped in again. "De Senator is a powerful man, could cause us a lot of problems."

"Den yo' should look t' yo' Patriarch, mon frere" Remy said softly, his red eyes still pinned to his father. "I told Jean-Luc not t' send me, but he did anyway."

"He sent yo' cuz, 'cause yo' de best" Etienne pointed out, "Done everyone knows it."

"Partly" Remy agreed, cocking his head in acknowledgment. "But mostly he wanted t' punish m' f'r n't fallin' back into line."

Mercy spoke for the first time in a hushed voice, "'M sho' Papa would never-"

"Use a job f'r his own agenda?" Remy said callously, "Better hope n't, or it might be time f'r a new leader, hein?"

There was a beat of silence before the entire table burst into outrage. Remy couldn't hear anyone over the raised voices of everyone trying to have their say. The only person that remained silent was Emil, who sat with a sympathetic expression as he surveyed Remy.

"Quiet" the voice of his Tante Mattie resonated across the table, she was not loud but it was enough to silence everyone.

All eyes turned to her.

"Yo' forget yo'self, Jean-Luc" she said, her voice harsh and wizened with years of knowledge. "In yo' haste to protect de honour o' de family, yo' f'rget de importance o' _family_."

Jean-Luc opened his mouth, perhaps to argue, before closing it again.

Mattie cast her brown eyes over the entire table, she hadn't even opened her mouth yet her gaze had everyone hanging their heads in shame.

"Why can't yo' see dat a part o' Remy has been missin' since he came back from dat exile?" she said in a soft voice, her words resonating strongly around the room. "Dat yo' did nothin' t' show him how much we missed him when he was gone."

He hadn't spoken to anyone about how unhappy he had felt since returning to the Mansion, but he shouldn't have been surprised that Mattie had noticed. There was very little that escaped her notice.

"But, Rem, of course we missed yo'!" his brother hesitated, seeming to stumble over the words. "Yo' always said yo' be so happy t' come back!" Now that his brother had found his voice, his tone almost seemed accusatory. "Dat a part o' yo' had been missin' dat whole time!"

Remy heaved a huge sigh and sat up straighter in his chair. "S'true enough" he said, with a causal shrug of his shoulder. "Only dis Cajun never noticed dat anudder part were missin' f'r even longer." Remy leant forward and ran his fingers agitatedly through his hair, "Mebe I'd forgotten it was dere t' begin wit."

"De mutant part?" Theo asked quietly.

Remy turned to look at his cousin for the first time, "Here it's always been thief first, mutant second." He shrugged again and placed his elbows on the table, "I jus' never had a problem wit' it 'till.."

"Until yo' went away?" Mercy asked, leaning closer towards him.

"Mebe it was den" he agreed slowly, "Or mebe it was-"

"When you met _her_ " Emil nodded, almost as if he suddenly understood. He had been the only person in his family to meet Marie, he had experienced her first hand.

Of course he could see the hold she had over him.

Remy took a deep breath, "Papa, I t'ink I love her-"

His father interrupted him with a sharp, "Non!" As Remy turned to glance at him, he saw his face was flushed with anger. "I forbid it! If yo' won't have Belladonna, yo' can't be wit' dis common waitress who has no skills t' her name."

"Papa-" Herni tried.

"Non!" His father said again, turning his eyes to his eldest son. "Merci here is a fine woman, I ain't havin' my-"

"For de last time Jean-Luc, I won't be yo'r heir!" Remy burst out angrily because he just couldn't seem to help himself. With or without Rogue, he would never lead the Guild of Thieves.

His father turned to look at him slowly and continued speaking as though he hadn't interrupted. "M' second born will marry jus' as well."

Remy suddenly felt very hot.

He wasn't sure if it was because Jean-Luc had finally accepted his wishes, or if it was because he had addressed him as his _second born_ , when everyone sat at the table knew he had no claim on such a title.

Their eyes met across the table and a look passed between them. Remy had never understood his father or why he acted the way he did. He had always just assumed it was to punish him, but maybe he really did believe what he was doing would be the best for the family.

To Jean-Luc, personal feelings weren't important where family was concerned. An opinion to which he and Remy would probably always disagree on.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, "She can knock people out wit' one touch of her skin" he offered.

His father seemed to consider this for a moment, "Well" he said, running his forefinger and his thumb over his chin, "Mebe she could be useful.."

Remy and Henri both glanced at each other before letting out a laugh.

"Why does any o' dis matter?" Eteinne asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yo' done said she was gone."

Remy felt the laughter slowly drain from him, "She has" he agreed. "Back t' a better life, a life without me."

His Tante snorted, causing heads to whip in her direction. "Says who?" she demanded, "Yo love dis broken chile, who better t' care f'r her dan yo'."

Remy rolled his eyes at his aunt's omniscience but didn't contradict her, "She won't never forgive de t'ings I said t' her."

Remy knew it was true even before he said it. He would never be able to forgive himself for the things he'd said to Marie, of course he couldn't expect her to forgive them.

"Well mebe yo' should try" his cousin Theo suggested, leaning back onto two legs of his chair. "Might be nice t'see yo' work t' get a girls affection f'r a change."

"She's certainly a knock out" Emil joined in on the teasing, grinning away as though Christmas had come early. "She'd run rings around yo' cuz."

Remy gaped at them for a second, all grinning at him like fools.

"Be nice t' have another woman around" Mercy agreed, throwing her opinion into the mix. "Keep yo' boys in line."

"Well why don't yo' jus' pack a case an throw m' out de door" Remy said sarcastically, tuning back to his aunt who was considering him with warm brown eyes.

"Yo' should go Remy" the old woman said softly, "Find de part o' yo' dats missin'."

Remy swallowed slowly and turned back to the head of the table, "Jean-Luc?" he said queitly, "Yo' can't be happy wit' dis?"

"Ain't never gone be happy bout yo' leavin'" his father told him, suddenly looking extremely grave. "But mebe yo' been cooped up in dis here mansion f'r too long."

Remy held his breath but didn't say anything.

His father considered him for a long moment, "Yo' jus' be sho' t' bring dat girl wit' de knock out touch home one day."

As the table broke out in whoops and cheers of laughter, Remy just sat staring at all of them.

He'd spent years dreaming of being back in this place, and now they were all pushing him out. Pushing him into the arms of a girl who had lied to him. Even if he had wanted to find Marie, he had no idea how he would manage it. She had promised him she would leave, and he believed her.

So why should he go chasing a girl around the country, when he wasn't really sure who she was?


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything here, but if anyone spots Remy LeBeau could you send him my way?_

 **Chapter 15**

Rogue didn't think she had ever cried so much in her life, she hadn't even known her body had held so many tears.

She had managed to hold herself together just until she'd entered the flat the night after her shift ended. Then as soon as Scott had asked her what had happened she had lost it, and the flood gates had opened.

They hadn't pestered her or followed her into her room as she'd fallen onto the bed and wept.

Rogue didn't think she'd even cried so many tears over Bobby.

Kitty had come to her with a mug of hot chocolate at some point in the night, but she hadn't said anything. Just crawled onto the bed behind Rogue and wrapped her arms around her as she'd cried the entire night.

Even now as she packed away her clothes, a stray tear leaked down her cheek. She wiped it away and cursed herself, but it didn't stop her from thinking about all the reasons why it was falling.

Rogue would probably never see Remy LeBeau again.

She has once heard someone say that _no man is an island_ but by the very nature of her condition, she had to be. She kept herself at a distance from everyone to keep them safe, including her own boyfriend. How could she blame Bobby for leaving, when she was the one constantly holding him at arms length?

That had been before she'd met Remy.

Even before they could touch he had a way about him, a way to sneak past her defences and make her laugh. He had touched her, in so many ways, and finally brought life into her soulless existence.

Now she would have to go back to the mansion without him, and live as though she had never experienced what life could be like knowing Remy LeBeau.

Just the thought was bringing on a fresh round of tears.

She moved to grab a tissue from her nightstand and paused when she heard a knock at the door. Unless Scott had gone out and forgotten to take a key she couldn't imagine who could be calling. No one knew they were here.

A few seconds passed as someone moved to answer it and Rogue went back to packing her bag.

"Dis be de address f'r Marie?" a voice rumbled through the wall of her bedroom, an extremely familiar voice that sent a shock right up her spine and had her diving for the door handle.

"Depends who's asking, bub."

Rogue poked her head out of her door before Logan could cause too much trouble, "Remy?"

His eyes shot up at the sound of her voice, they were molten red and his entire body seemed to relax the moment he saw her.

"T'ought I'd missed yo'" he said, his voice aching with relief.

He made a move towards her, if it was to touch her or just to step into the room she wasn't sure. He didn't get very far, as Logan blocked his way the moment he stepped in.

"Where do you think your goin' Gumbo?" he practically growled.

Rogue sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me kid" Logan said, his back still to her.

"I ain't here f'r no trouble, mon ami" Remy tried again.

"Listen bub, I had to listen to that girl cry all night" he spat, jerking his thumb in Rogue's direction causing her to blush and inwardly curse him. Remy had already made it pretty clear he wasn't interested in her, she didn't need Logan to further her humiliation. "You think I'm gonna do that again without lookin' for blood, then yer wrong."

"Logan, I presume?" Remy raised an eyebrow at Rogue, who couldn't help but smile at his memory. "Remy LeBeau" he held out his hand but Logan didn't take it.

"I know who you are, Gumbo."

"O' course, had t' kick yo' drunk self out o' de club jus' last week" he nodded before turning his piercing eyes on Rogue. "Or was dat jus' part o' de act, too?"

Rogue flushed and cast her eyes down to the floor.

She had forgotten that Remy and Logan had already met.

The cosy little gathering was interrupted by Scott and Kitty, who presumably had been drawn from the kitchen by the noise.

Scott crossed his arms over his chest as soon as he spotted Remy, his brow furrowed.

"What is he doing here?" Scott wanted to know.

"We were just gettin' to that" Logan said grumpily.

"Ah Chaton" Remy waved his arms theatrically, seeming to enjoy the role he had submerged himself into. "Yo' in dis cosy lil club too?"

Kitty flushed but met his gaze, "Nice to see you again, Remy."

"Yo' could teach de family a t'ing or too."

"Speaking of your family" Scott said tetchily, "Did you bring any of them with you today, or maybe Senator Kelly?"

Remy turned his red eyes stare to Scott, "Yo' don't know me yet, but we gone get along jus' fine."

"I doubt that" Scott bit out.

"Look, how 'bout you explain what you're doing here, Gumbo" Logan said, quickly losing patience. "Before I throw you out."

"'M here f'r a lot o' reasons, mon ami" Remy breathed, his eyes moving back to lock onto to Rogue's green ones. "But she be de main one."

His stare was so intense her breath caught in her throat and she suddenly felt she had to explain herself.

"Remy, Ah'm real sorry foar everythin' but Ah was jus' doing mah job" she burst out, "I didn't know nothin' 'bout yah before we met, 'cept that yah might be working with Senator Kelly and Ah-"

"I ain't here f'r any o' dat, Marie" he said softly, "Yo' don't got t' explain yo'self t' me."

He had stepped closer again and collided with Logan's arm. Logan simply raised an eyebrow.

"You ain't going no where, bub."

Remy's red eyes suddenly glowed with anger as he turned on Logan, "'M in love wit' dat girl" he burst out, so suddenly and so fiercely that Rogue couldn't even be sure he'd said it. "Yo' t'ink yo' can stop m' being wit' her, t'ink again."

"Yah what?" Rogue stuttered.

Remy looked her in the eyes, clearing his throat and looking embarrassed for the first time since arriving. "I love yo' chere" he said sincerely.

Rogue felt a lump rise in her throat as tears burst from her eyes again and leaked down her cheeks.

"Non mah cherie, don't cry!" he pushed past Logan again, and this time he didn't protest. Just watched as Remy gathered Rogue up in his arms and stroked her hair. "Dis ain't sad chere" he crooned softly.

"Yah don't know meh, Remy" she choked out.

He took her face between his hands and she marvelled at the softness of his fingers.

"I know yo' make m' feel somethin' I never thought I would" he told her quietly. "I was sleepin' f'r so long before yo' found me, yo' brought me back t' de world."

"Ah didn't-"

"'M I gonna have t' kiss de denial off yo' lips?"

Rogue couldn't help but grin, "Well Ah sure wouldn't mind" she drawled.

"I'm sorry" Kitty interrupted, making them both jump and drawing attention to the fact that they weren't alone. She was holding her hands out in front of her as though she was trying to stop traffic, "Is no one else concerned that he's touching her skin and not passing out?"

Rogue blushed.

Logan sighed, "So the Cajun can touch her, just want I need" he muttered to himself, before turning and heading towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Scott demanded, "We clearly have a situation here."

"The pheromones that kid is throwing off are giving me a headache" Logan jabbed his thumb in Remy's direction. "An' it don't seem to be any of our business."

Logan left the room then, and Rogue turned to see Scott glaring at both of them. Or she assumed he was glaring, she couldn't really tell because of his glasses.

"Wheels up in fifteen, Rogue" he said sternly, before heading back towards the kitchen and dragging an open mouthed Kitty with him.

"What did he mean by that?" Remy asked as Rogue took a hold of his hand and pulled him softly into her bedroom.

"We're leaving in fifteen minutes" Rogue told him, keeping her back to him as she closed the door softly. "Scott almost has the jet ready."

"Leaving la belle N'Alwins?" he said, his red eyes twinkling.

"Ah told yah Ah'm an X-Man" she said quietly, "Ah belong at Xavier's."

He reached out to take her hand and jerk her into his chest, "Yo' belong wit' me" he said firmly.

Rogue smiled as she nuzzled into his neck, "Ah'd drive yah crazy after a week."

"I do hope so."

"Remy, Ah'm just a nice distraction" she reminded him, "Good tah look at, but not foar the long term."

Remy visibly winced, "If yo' knew how much I wish I could take dose words back."

"Yah were only bein' honest" Rogue shrugged, her eyes cast down again. "Ah wish everyone else could be honest with me."

"But I weren't, chere" he slid his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her head up. "I wanted t' hurt yo' because yo' hurt me, but I didn't mean it, I haven't thought of anythin' but yo' since yo' walked into m' life."

"Remy this is crazy" she moved away from him, pacing across the room. "Yah barely know meh" she thrust her finger in his direction before bringing it back to her chest, "Ah barely know yah!"

"Marie-"

"An even if Ah did" she threw her hands up in the air in frustration, "We come from two different worlds, an' Ah can't change who Ah am."

"What if I can?"

When she turned to look at him he was holding the ugly, metal collar she recognised from his office the night before.

"What about yah family?" she asked quietly.

"Dey ain't as important."

Rogue couldn't have stopped herself from kissing him then even if she'd tried. She threw herself at him, the collar hit the floor with a loud thunk as her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled his lips to hers.

He threaded his arms around her waist and pulled him up against her as the kiss caught fire. Rogue groaned into his mouth as her nipples strained against her shirt and liquid heat pooled between her thighs. He managed to manoeuvre them so they fell softly onto the bed and he covered his body with hers. It was as though a gun had gone off in her head and the race had started, suddenly she wanted to touch and taste him everywhere.

He looped his fingers around her wrists and pulled them above her head.

"Stop, chere" he groaned, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers.

She lifted her hips up to grind against him but the friction did nothing to ease the ache he had created between her thighs.

"Ah don't want tah" she pouted.

"Oh, I know" he chucked, placing a soft kiss on her neck. "But yo' are makin' it real hard f'r me t' be a gentleman."

Rogue laughed, "Why start now?"

"Yo' wound me, chere" he teased.

Rogue giggled because she was nervous and couldn't seem to help herself. It was a pure and innocent sound, and as much as she didn't want to sound as completely virginal as she obviously was, she couldn't help it.

Remy didn't seem to mind.

"Yo' are beautiful, mah cherie" he said, his finger running along her jaw.

She closed her eyes at his touch.

"Will Ah ever get used tah this feelin'" she said, so quietly she wasn't sure if he'd heard.

When she opened her eyes again she was met with an intense red eyed stare.

"Sho' hope not, chere" he murmured, "Yo' reactions are too satisfyin'."

"It ain't fair" she pouted, "Ah have no effect on yah, but when yah touch meh Ah can barely speak."

"I'm irresistible" he said, grinning at her easily.

"Yah are incorrigible" she told him, rolling her eyes.

"But t'ink o' how much fun it would be t' corridge me" he wriggled his eyebrows.

She kissed him again then, just because she could. He reached up to cradle her face in one hand and wrapped the other tighter around his waist.

As the kiss deepened she reached down to tug his shirt out of his pants. His hands were locked around her wrists again almost instantly.

"'M all f'r show 'n tell, chere" he said softly against her lips, "But mebe did ain't de time, non?"

"Remy" her voice was shaky and she took a deep breath in an attempt to recover her nerves. "If this is thah last tahme Ah see yah, ah want us tah.."

She petered off and flushed red at the mere thought of the words.

"Chere" he said so quietly she was sure he had picked up on the meaning of her words. "Yo' deserve a lot more dan a quick fumble wit' yo' friends on de other side o' de door."

Rogue didn't think her face had ever been so hot before, she was sure she was shining like a red beacon. "Ah get it if yah wouldn't want tah-"

"Don't ever think dat" he said sharply, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger and forcing her to looking into his eyes. "Yo' are stunnin', with a body t' make a priest weep an' I won't pretend I ain't thought how I could have m' way wit' yo' at least sixty times a day since we first met."

Rogue had been wrong, her face must be the colour of a traffic cone by now.

"But not dis way."

"Remy Ah'm leavin' today" she pressed again, "Ah won't see yah again."

Remy laughed and stroked her hair out of her face, "O course yo' will chere."

"Yah think Ah'm in Louisiana all tha tahme?" she huffed frustratedly.

"Non, but I'm willin' t' see if New York is all it's cracked up t' be."

Rogue fell silent as she looked into his eyes, gauging if she'd fully understood what he was saying.

"Are yah askin' tah be an X-Man?" she said.

Remy shrugged, "If dey have me."

Rogue couldn't help but laugh, "Scott is gonna die!"

Remy laughed softly and flicked another finger through her hair, "Well, X-Men or not, I'm still comin' t' N' York f'r yo'."

Rogue kissed him again.

Mostly because she could, but also because he had just made her happier than she ever remembered being.


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: If I owned Marvel, it would be me walking into the sunset with Remy LeBeau_

 **Epilogue**

"You better watch yourself, bub."

Remy turned to glance at Logan, or as Marie had affectionally deemed him, Wolverine. He wasn't so convinced that the man was quite that ferocious, he had a bite on him for sure and Remy wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of him in a fight.

But he saw the way that Logan looked at Marie.

No one with that much affection in his heart could ever be as ferocious as a rabid Wolverine.

"Play nice, Logan" Marie threatened, threading his fingers through Remy's and squeezing his hand.

"Don't worry yo'rself, chere" Remy grinned, squeezing her hand in return and running his thumb along the top of hers. "Me an' de Wolverine gonna have a lot t' talk about, hein?"

Logan rolled his eyes, "Just keep your hands to yourself when I'm in smelling distance."

"No one knows what your smelling distance is, Logan" Kitty laughed, clapping her hands together.

Remy didn't think he had ever seen anyone so happy. Whenever he so much as reached over to flip Marie's hair out of her eyes, Kitty's face practically split in half with a smile.

He guessed it had something to do with finally seeing Rogue happy with someone, maybe finally seeing Rogue with someone she could touch. Whatever it was, Remy was more than happy to be the source of such joy.

It was certainly new experience.

"Don't forget he's only on probation" Scott called from the cockpit, "If it weren't for that collar, he wouldn't be here at all."

To say that Scott hadn't been happy about the idea of Remy as an X-Man was an understatement. He had all but put his foot down in denial when Marie had explained the situation.

Even when she had produced the collar and begged them all to believe he was willing to change, Scott had still looked at him like he was a snake that needed to be squashed.

It wasn't until Marie had rolled her eyes and implored that Xavier's was about second chances that they had all yielded.

Remy might have mentioned that he would be coming to New York regardless, and they couldn't keep him away from Marie, so why not put him somewhere they could keep a close eye on him?

Said Wolverine had been a big fan of that idea.

"Yo' sho' are a hard crowd t' please" he shook his head and grinned at Marie. Remy leaned in and placed a kiss under the shell of her ear, he still loved the way she shivered under his touch, "'Least de Chaton likes me, non?" he whispered, watching the goosebumps rise on her skin.

Marie turned to glare at him, "She'll be tha only one in a second, Swamp Boy."

"Don't be sore" he teased.

"What did I say about touching?" Logan growled, turning to throw the two of them a glare.

"I believe yo' said no hands, mon ami" Remy winked.

Kitty laughed and Marie rolled her eyes.

"We're coming in now" Scott called as the plane took a sharp turn that had Remy gripping on his seat.

He wasn't a bad flier, but if he'd had his way, he would be the one in the cockpit.

Marie leaned over him to look out of the window and catch her first glance of the Mansion. Remy followed her gaze, moving his fingers to stoke the bare skin on the back of her neck.

He just couldn't help himself. Even now from the innocent touch of his fingers she was biting her lip and gripping onto his knee as though she was moments from losing control of herself to some undeniable pleasure.

Remy laughed and leaned over to nip on her earlobe with his teeth.

She closed her eyes and let out a breathily little moan.

"I'm warning you, Gumbo" Logan's menacing voice came from behind them.

Marie turned to shoot him a glare but he just grinned charmingly back, she wouldn't be able to stay mad at him for very long.

Marie leaned back into her seat to brace herself for landing and Remy moved away from her, choosing to keep their fingers intertwined as Scott brought the plane down into what appeared to be some sort of basement.

Remy looked around interestedly as Logan quickly undid his buckles.

"I need a drink" he muttered, climbing out of the plane before the gangway was all the way down.

"Come on, Cajun" Marie muttered, un-clickling her seatbelt and refusing to look him in the eye. "Let's see what more trouble yah could possibly get inta."

Remy was sure she was mad about something, and he was probably about thirty seconds away from an ear bashing, but he was too interested in his surroundings to placate her just now.

He watched as the gangway moved down and displayed a large metal room that appeared to be a hanger bay. Planes of all sizes littered the space and Remy's mouth fell open in awe.

He turned to Marie to ask her where exactly she had brought him, only to find her still glaring at him.

He guessed that ear bashing might be over due.

"Now, listen here Swamp Rat" she started, jabbing her finger into his chest. "Ah ain't used tah this bein' touched business so yah need tah stop movin' at 400 miles per hour."

Remy didn't think they were moving so fast.

But then, Marie wasn't anything like the other girls he had been involved with. There was a reason behind her innocent reactions to his touch that had to do with a lot more than just attraction. He'd have to remember that in future.

He opened his mouth to reassure her that he was a complete Southern Gentleman, and he would never do anything to immune a lady's honour.

That was until she spotted their welcome party.

There was a tall girl with long red hair and searching green eyes, she wasn't looking at them but her eyes darted nervously over the Blackbird. The other was a young man, he had spiky blonde hair and icechip blue eyes. Eyes that were fixed on Marie, but couldn't help occasionally flicking to glare at Remy.

Was this the famous ex-boyfriend?

Remy didn't get the chance to ask, before he knew what was happening Marie had thrown her arms around his neck and planted a kiss right on his lips.

Well, he certainly wasn't one to miss a chance when it was given. He wound his arms around her waist and pulled her against him until every part of them was touching.

He could probably stay like this forever.

Unfortunately Rogue pulled away from him, her face slightly flushed and her eyes staring guiltily at the ground, "Ah'm sorry" she murmured, "That weren't real mature."

He wondered for a second what she could mean before he caught sight of the blonde mutant again. The guy looked about ready to put his fist through a wall. His hands were clenched together and his eyes were hard as stones.

Remy grinned. He never could resist the opportunity to show off.

"Fo'get mature" he said, grabbing her wrist and reeling her back into his arms, "Dat sho' is overrated, an' Gambit like dis side t' yo'."

Marie laughed to hide her blush and buried her face into his chest.

"Dis why dey call yo' Rogue?" he murmured in her ear.

Her blush deepened and she attempted a weak glare, "Stop embarrassing meh!"

"But yo' so cute" he teased, kissing her on the nose.

"Would you two stop before I gag" Kitty said, barging between the two of them and forcing them apart. It seemed her happiness did not stretch as far as public displays of affection. She grabbed a hold of his hand and started dragging him off the plane, "Come on, we have so many introductions!"

"I see dat" Remy muttered, casting a wary eye back to the mutants in the hanger bay. The blonde boy was still glaring at him as though his stare might put a hole through Remy's head. The girl was glancing between the two of them with a furrowed expression as though she was confused about something.

He suddenly felt a pressure against the static shield around his mind and understood.

She had to be a telepath.

He couldn't help but grin.

Behind him, Rogue laughed at something.

"Welcome tah the X-Men, Remy LeBeau."

 **I can't believe it's finally over! I started writing this story in 2015 and I honestly never thought it would have an ending. That is all down to you lovely people who read it and wrote a review. Seriously, thank you all so much!**


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